Meet the M30s: Francisco Correia on Finding an Education That Fits How He Learns

Describe yourself in three words.

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Iterative: To me, iteration is a mindset. I prefer jumping into problems head-first, taking bold risks, and adjusting on the fly. I'm not afraid to test ideas quickly and fail fast as a way to find innovative solutions.

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Autonomous: I thrive under scoped independence and I love zero-to-one environments where problems are ambiguous and messy. Mikhail Tal famously described chess as a 'deep, dark forest where 2+2=5'. To me that is a great description of complexity. I love stepping into that forest, bypassing over-engineered solutions, and finding clever workarounds and shortcuts to get from chaos to a prototype fast.

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Restless: Restlessness is probably the most consistent characteristic of my life. I have energy for days and a chronic need for perpetual motion. The historic challenge for me has been channeling that momentum productively, i.e., relying on proactivity rather than on the panic of deadlines.

Tell us about your previous college experience at TUM and about your curricular internship at Feldwerke GmbH.

Before attending Minerva I was a student at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) for 3 years, majoring in business with a minor in mechanical engineering. My experience at TUM unfolded in two stages. During the first two years, I felt disconnected from the theoretical curriculum. However, that time wasn't wasted. I directed my energy into playing professional squash (reaching World Rank #529) and built rigor, discipline, and self-reliance navigating German exam cycles with no feedback. Still, this environment dampened my passion for learning.

Everything changed when I started my curricular internship at Feldwerke GmbH, a Munich-based clean-tech startup developing Agri-PV solutions. Tasked with lead sourcing and data enrichment alongside two colleagues, I took the initiative to build a series of user-friendly automation tools, for instance, automating all formatting, parsing and a portion of manual research work. Within three months, after compiling these scattered tools into a single web application, I left behind a team twice as productive. More than just an interesting challenge, this internship was a major personal milestone: it flipped the switch from surviving exams to thriving in real-world problem-solving.

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When you began exploring colleges, what kind of academic challenge and real-world experience were you looking for, and what made Minerva stand out from more traditional universities?

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When exploring options for a second degree in Computer Science, Minerva was the sole university I applied to. Building on my Internship and later on my thesis I did not want to go back a traditional college auditorium. Minerva stood out because it was the option that allowed me to keep that momentum from my last year at TUM. Minerva intentionally takes an applied multidisciplinary approach from day one: small interactive classes, continuous feedback, no exams, and constant application. For that reason I felt it was the ideal environment for me to thrive in.

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What are you most excited to learn or experience during your first year?

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Academically, with my focus on Computer Science, I am most eager to dive into Formal Analysis, i.e., mastering computational logic and problem-solving from first principles. Stepping back, though, I believe Civic Projects are the absolute highlight of the Minerva curriculum. They offer real autonomous work experience, allowing students to solve real problems while giving back to our host communities. In parallel, I look forward to immersing myself in the Minerva community and hitting the ground in San Francisco, a city where I’m quickly learning to expect the unexpected. Concretely, I plan to throw myself straight into SF’s tech ecosystem, active squash courts, and chess scene.

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What would you say to another student who is excited by Minerva but hesitant to choose a college experience that looks different from the traditional path?

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I’d tell them the exact same thing I tell my 16-year-old sister, and this applies to more than just choosing a college. You have to ask yourself honestly what you want out of life. No wrong answers. It’s completely fine if your path or definition of success looks different from the norm. The key is then to map your options to those goals. For me, Minerva was a no-brainer because it felt tailor-made for how I operate and what I want to achieve. I’m scrappy, active, and independent, and I wanted an ecosystem built to amplify those traits rather than box them in. So if Minerva seems aligned with you I would definitely give it a shot.

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