Luciana MASTROROSA  (Sao Paulo, Brazil)  -  2010 student 

Journalist specialized in food & wine content for websites, newspapers and magazines

"First of all, I have to say that I really enjoy food and gastronomy. After spending some years working for online journalism in Brazil, I started focusing my career on gastronomy in 2006 by writing a weblog about food. The blog, Guloseima - www.guloseima.net - (a portuguese word for “gourmandise”, in French, or something like “sweets”, in English) still remains online and, since the very beginning of it, my interest in gastronomy only grew. That blog led me to write for a food magazine in Brazil, as assistant-editor, and also to write a book about breakfast, launched last year.

So, the first time I saw HEG program, in 2008, I realized that that course was made for me. And my expectations were not frustrated. I took part of the HEG program in 2010, and I can say that it was one of the best things I ever did in my life. Not only because of the great food, the amazing restaurants and all the great lectures I took part of, but because HEG have changed my life in so many ways, not only professionally.

Because of the HEG program, I happened to meet some wonderful people from France (a country that I love and respect), Brazil and from all over the world. From countries like Australia, Malaysia, Korea, United States, England, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Hong Kong... I spent a really great time with friends from all over these countries and I believe that this friendship will last forever.

As a brazilian food journalist and writer, I can say that all the experiences we had at the HEG program contributed a lot to my job here in Brazil, of course, but the experience goes far away from that. I not just only met great people, great teachers and great food and drinking: I could taste the very flavour of gastronomy. And of true friendship."