23 February 2026 Supporting talent: the Jesús Serra Undergraduate Scholarships ceremony and training programme
Once again, Fundación Occident entrusted us with supporting the organisation of the Jesús Serra Undergraduate Scholarships award ceremony, a programme that promotes quality education and equal opportunities. As always, we fully committed ourselves to designing a ceremony worthy of the project. After months of work, last October we held the event where we met the second generation of Jesús Serra scholars: 12 young people who are building a community ready to overcome every barrier. This year the challenge was twofold, as the ceremony coincided with the programme’s first in-person training sessions — a key meeting point for scholars from both editions — including workshops designed to strengthen their soft skills.
On October 3rd, Fundación Occident’s offices in Méndez Álvaro (Madrid) hosted the award ceremony for the second edition of the Jesús Serra Undergraduate Scholarships. The event brought together the new scholars and their families, the beneficiaries of the first edition, the evaluation committee and Foundation representatives. It was much more than a diploma ceremony: it was a celebration of education as a driver of social transformation.
The true value of this project lies in the Jesús Serra scholars themselves. For this reason, UbiK media designed the ceremony as a warm and close setting where they were the main protagonists. The event highlighted the academic achievements of twelve outstanding students who will either be the first members of their families to attend university or the first women to pursue STEM degrees.
Video produced by UbiK media that kicked off the ceremony.
A ceremony full of special moments
During the ceremony, hosted by journalist Marina Ribel, several particularly emotional moments took place. Among them were speeches by Beatriz Sigüenza, Director of Fundación Balia and member of the evaluation committee, and Jaume Ripoll, Director of FILMIN, who closed the event.
Jaume, who had previously collaborated with the Jesús Serra Scholarships through the online mentoring and training programme, shared his personal experience and encouraged the scholars to nurture their curiosity throughout this new stage.
“I was the first person in my family to go to university, and if I have learned one thing throughout my career it is that culture does not always give us answers, but it does raise questions. My advice is that, now that you are starting this university journey, you dare to ask those questions and learn from them.”
Jaume Ripoll at the Jesús Serra Undergraduate Scholarships 2025 ceremony.
Undoubtedly, the most moving moment came with the diploma presentation, officially recognising these young people as Jesús Serra scholars, led by Laura Halpern, President of Fundación Occident. After receiving their diplomas — and posing for the traditional commemorative photograph — the twelve scholars had the opportunity to talk with the event moderator, allowing us to get to know them better and discover the stories behind each of them.
A programme designed to help them reach their full potential
As in the first edition, twelve scholarships were awarded in this second call, divided into two access pathways: Pathway 1, First-generation university students, aimed at students from any field of knowledge; and Pathway 2, Women in STEM, aimed at women who are the first in their families to pursue degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics.
The goal of these scholarships is clear: to help overcome barriers and ensure that talent and motivation are not limited by students’ socioeconomic backgrounds. The scholarships cover university tuition fees and include financial support for academic materials, transversal training and travel expenses. In addition, they include two key elements that strengthen their long-term impact: a mentoring programme, through which each student is supported by a dedicated mentor throughout their university years, and a complementary training programme with both online and in-person sessions.
The first in-person training sessions — lasting two days — took place around the time of the ceremony and brought together the 24 scholars from the first and second editions, strengthening the sense of community.
This first training programme focused on organisational skills and teamwork. UbiK media designed the programme together with several collaborators whose contributions complemented each other: an inspirational talk by Clara Jiménez, co-founder and CEO of Maldita, on the risks of disinformation and the importance of critical thinking; a networking activity facilitated by UbiK media to help scholars meet and start building connections; a session on different personality types within teams; and a workshop on organisational skills delivered by Christian Bengoa, Project Manager at CardioRed1.
When communication supports purpose
Behind every detail of the ceremony and training programme was careful strategic work. UbiK media supported Fundación Occident in the conceptualisation of both events, script development, creative design and coordination with scholars, guests and speakers. This was complemented by the design and implementation of a communication plan that included live social media coverage, media relations and the production of several audiovisual pieces featuring the students themselves.
The result was a ceremony aligned with the programme’s values and the Foundation’s identity, and a training programme that helped scholars strengthen their soft skills, build confidence and create meaningful connections with each other and with the Foundation.
For UbiK media, the Jesús Serra Undergraduate Scholarships are a particularly meaningful project. We are proud to have been involved since the very beginning and to continue supporting its growth. In fact, we are already working on the coordination of the third edition with the same enthusiasm and commitment as always.
