I’m from Ecuador and I moved to Argentina for several reasons; a desire to experience a different culture and study at a top-tier university, and also other curiosities I had about life. I’m studying biology and, at the same time, I work as a biology teacher at a secondary school (Instituto Dr. José Ingenieros, Capital Federal). Although I had an initial plan for my time in Argentina whilst I was studying, this was disrupted by the country’s economic fluctuations. Salaries are unstable and rents are always rising out of step with the basic wage. However, this has never been a reason to give up; instead, I have kept moving forward, step by step. I am currently in the final stages of my studies and I am an intern in the group of ‘Microbial biotechnology: consortia and mixed cultures’ conducted by Dr. Eva Figuerola, placed in the Institute of Biosciences, Biotechnology and Translational Biology (iB3), which is located within the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires. Over the past year, I have been learning about microbiological laboratory techniques and protocol setups for the experiments and tests related to the project described. At this moment, I want to start work on my masterthesis (Licenciatura), but because of the nature of the experimental work—which require reagents and laboratory equipment—and the political and economic situation of science funding in our country, it is imperative to seek external funding sources.