Continuing with the series "Students Who Make Me Proud," today I want to dedicate this space to Igor Lima.

I taught Igor between 2012 and 2013—yes, over a decade ago—during the Technical Course in Web Informatics at Etec Raposo Tavares, the very first school where I worked.

Web development has always been a dynamic field that updates at breakneck speed. Back then, during my own undergraduate studies, we were using XHTML, and HTML5 was just beginning to be diffused.

When I started teaching, my vision of CSS structure was, admittedly, a bit archaic. I knew some JavaScript and a little PHP, but my true strength was in Web Interface creation. At the time, we were already designing User Interfaces (UI) with a "Mobile First" mindset, but for me, the deep coding aspect was still new territory. I never considered myself a "hardcore" programmer; I positioned myself as a Web Designer—strictly front-end.

It was in this context that I met Igor.

He was an incredibly sharp student who learned at a frightening pace. He would absorb everything we taught, go home, research, and arrive at the next class not only mastering the content but craving more. Often, I had to "slow him down" simply because, in a class of over 20 students, I needed to ensure the others didn't get left behind.

Igor taught me a great deal. His structural logic and the way he organized his source code challenged me. He was always humble in suggesting edits to my code to make it cleaner and more "debuggable." It wasn't just about code organization; it was pure logic.

Over the years, we lost touch, though I knew from a distance that he remained in the development field. Recently, LinkedIn’s algorithm highlighted his profile. I reached out, and we reconnected.

I must say, I was surprised by where he ended up. Not surprised that he is successful—I always knew he would be—but surprised by his path. I had pegged him as a future Full Stack Developer. Instead, within the web sector, he pivoted toward Digital Marketing and Strategy.

It is worth noting that back in 2012/2013, mobile app development was the "gold rush." Igor, even without formal classes on the subject, was already compiling his own apps—something that surprised me then (and honestly, something I haven't dedicated myself to doing alone to this day).

A few days ago, I invited Igor to join an evaluation panel for an Interdisciplinary Project at our school. To my delight, he accepted.

We had a chance to catch up, and I learned about the scope of his current work. Today, he works for a multinational company, serving clients from all over the world. He has mastered multiple languages, becoming a polyglot, and now leads teams and coordinates projects for major companies in Brazil and abroad.

Yet, despite this high-flying career, he maintains his humility and simplicity. He remains accessible, recognizing the path he traveled and valuing the institutions and people (like myself) who contributed to his formation.

One curious detail: for a digital expert, Igor is surprisingly discreet on social media. I encouraged him to organize his personal branding and increase his digital presence. Interestingly, his very first post on LinkedIn generated excellent engagement—proof that his network is just waiting for him to step into the spotlight.

But that is a topic for another conversation. For now, I just want to register my pride in seeing where he has arrived.

If you would like to reach out to Igor, you can find his LinkedIn profile here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/igor-lima-da-silva/