Raphael Alçufrom

After completing my degree, I have decided to pursue my childhood dream: discover lands and cultures unknown to me. I wanted to take this occasion to volunteer occasionally in exchange for accommodation and to Couch Surf. Those eight months of solo backpacking in 9 countries between Africa and Asia made me leave my comfort zone and reinforced my agility with a growth mindset. I had no choice but to master my adaptability and communication to deal with my daily challenges. This way of living led to a lot of decision-making. I focused on building relationships with humans and immersing with locals. I wanted to learn about different cultures and understand how people live around the world. I was living with them, doing like them. And I did my best to always keep my values and traditions. Beyond what my eyes were lucky to see, I learned about myself. I am confident that all the skills I gained will contribute to reaching my ambitious career path goals. Here are some of the volunteer projects I have realized during my Gap Year : 1. South Africa, Hoedspruit: The Canine Research Group, a dog training facility working with conservation organizations and vulnerable communities - 3 weeks. 2. South Africa, Cape Town: Yizani Sakhe Organization, a Charity Organization in the township of Gugulthu that feeds people, creates jobs, and has a health clinic - 1 week. 3. Kenya, Ewaso Ngiro: Building Hope Academy, School in a Masai village - 1 week. 4. Kenya, Nairobi: Place of Grace, a children's home and orphanage - 3 weeks 5. Nepal, Kathmandu: Yog Hostel, hostel - 10 days. 6. Philippines, Palawan: Dive Sibaltan, Diving School taking care of the corals - 4 days.

Objective: Design and build a lunar 3D printer concept, using lunar dust as printing material. For the Canadian Space Agency. - Secured institutional partnerships and funding from the Government of Canada, the Canadian Space Agency, and Dyze Design by leading all sponsorship and grant outreach for a 22-person multidisciplinary team - Delivered a lunar 3D printer prototype from concept to physical build within 8 months, coordinating collaboration between engineering and business students across Polytechnique and HEC Montréal - Represented the project externally through stakeholder presentations and public events, building visibility at the national level

- Supported global airline clients (Delta, Swiss Air, Korean Air) in resolving technical aircraft issues, ensuring minimal operational disruption through structured follow-up and CRM updates - Coordinated the availability of technical deliverables to align with aircraft maintenance calendars across international accounts - Developed early client-facing and cross-cultural communication skills in a high-stakes, fast-paced technical environment