Amaro Sánchez is about to embark on a six-month stay at Harvard University to do research in Microbiology thanks to the scholarship PIN of the Government of Navarra. The contact with the alumni of the School of Pharmacy and the support of the Careers Office have been, according to him, the key to enter one of the most prestigious universities in the world.

- How did you find out about the PIN scholarships offered by the Government of Navarra and why did you decide to apply for one of them?
As it was clear to me that my future was abroad, one of my strategies to achieve it was to look for a scholarship to take my first steps outside Spain. So I made a list of possible scholarships I could apply for, and I looked for committee in the international area of FEUN (Foundation business University of Navarra). There, with Kristina Monson's financial aid , we analyzed the pros and cons of each of the possible scholarships, and decided that the scholarship PIN was the one that best fit my plans.

To do so, I had to find a project and submit it to the Government of Navarra before February 2016. If I succeeded, and since I fulfilled the rest of the requirements of the scholarship, I had a good chance of being assigned.

- Why was it clear to you that you wanted to do an internship outside Spain when you finished degree program?
I think I am at the ideal moment to do it. It is something that really excites me and I have been fighting for it for a long time.

- What project will you be working on at Harvard?
It is a project of research in a department of Microbiology, although I will also be at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. At summary, the project consists of studying bacterial virulence factors and development vaccines for Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumani.

- Did you have a hard time looking for accommodation there and managing the necessary paperwork?
So far all the paperwork has been only for the scholarship and for apply for the visa (I will soon start with the accommodation).

Undoubtedly the most tedious ones have been the visa procedures. However, Harvard has a department that deals exclusively with these procedures, so they have made it very easy for me.

- What would you like to do when you return from this internship?
In principle, my intention is to extend it. I plan to take advantage of all the opportunities I find there to stay.

- How do you value the financial aid of the School to manage your application?
The School of Pharmacy has been very helpful financial aid and I am very grateful to them. When I explained my status they provided me with the contact of several alumni abroad. In fact, it was only as a result of these contacts that two different project possibilities arose. One of them is the project of research that I am finally going to Harvard University.