The day I met Catarina, a criminology student, passionate about criminal investigation and with the dream of joining the Criminal Police, Duarte, a former trainee at VdA, called me to give me the news that he had been admitted, on that very same day, to the Criminal Police, thus fulfilling the dream, which he had once shared with me. Coincidences or omens (whatever it may be), for me it was the sign that, even if I cannot lead Catarina to the ‘Criminal Police’, I can help building a bridge that, who knows one day, will take her there or to a place yet to be discovered. As Catarina's Mentor, I will try to help her find her own skills, develop them and integrate them into what fulfills her. I am grateful for this opportunity to achieve personal fulfilment. Because we, VdA, are much more than just lawyers.

My recent involvement with the Stand4Good mentoring project has proved to be a notably enriching experience. Seeing the world through the eyes of a young woman born after the 2000s, understanding her concerns and interests, sharing her worldview and way of looking at reality has offered me much more than what, at first sight, could have been expected. Looking forward to giving back!

The work of Fundação VVA goes far beyond the obvious. With an active presence and a keen eye on the greatest needs and challenges of the institutions working in the Social Economy sector, the Fundação has played an absolutely vital role in the life of Stand4Good. Present from the very first moment, it has been tireless in its involvement with the project, both through its financial support, essential for pursuing our mission, and through the mobilisation of its internal team, as part of the Mentoring Programme for the students that we support. It has been a privilege to share this path with those who, like ourselves, believe that Education changes lives. Thank you!

"VdA's mentorship was a privilege! I had the opportunity to get to know a large law firm and meet professionals with a similar background to mine, which allowed me to develop personal and professional skills that will help me a lot in the future. It was an amazing and extremely rewarding experience. I sincerely thank Pedro Ferreira de Sousa and the VVA Foundation for everything!"

“I was very excited to take up the challenge of working with Stand4Good's Mentor Program, but I had no idea it would be such an engaging and rewarding experience. I am fortunate enough to follow Inês on her journey, an outgoing and resolute young woman, who let me into her world and have a front row seat to her experiences during her 1st year of law school, sharing with me not only her everyday hurdles and doubts, but also her joys, achievements, and dreams. I have tried to return the privilege granted to me and always be there for her, to listen, to support and to guide, to challenge, to help broaden her horizons, and to try to quench her enormous curiosity for everything that surrounds her. I can only thank Inês, Stand4Good and the Vasco Vieira de Almeida Foundation!”

“I had the privilege of being mentored by Vieira de Almeida e Associados, through Stand4Good. This mentoring had a great impact on me, not only as a law student, but also as a person. Over the course of the year, I had frequent meetings with my mentor, to clarify all doubts about the course and its subjects, concerning the everyday life in a law firm, the dynamics of the profession and the broad employability of the course. I also had the privilege of visiting Vieira de Almeida for a day. And as a future lawyer, the high expectations of being close to professionals of excellence and seeing their day-to-day work went far beyond what I had imagined. Lastly, I would like to express my thanks to the mentor, who has worked tirelessly to provide me with all the support I need to hopefully become the best professional I can be in the future!”