All you have to do is simply look.
by TJ Alumni, Alia Gant (Class of 2007)
Photo by Alia Gant
College, college, college. I am sure many of you have these exact words repeated in the same phrase. As you approach closer to your senior year, college becomes more of a concern. Should I even go to college? If I go to college, where am I going to study? Should I stay in-state or go out-of-state? What do I like so I can narrow down a major? These may be some of the questions racing through your head as you think about college.
Well, I can honestly say that each and every one of you will make the decision that you think is best – which could be going to a college or university, going to a technical school, armed forces, or joining the work force. Whatever your decision, I strongly suggest you consider studying or working abroad. This past semester I studied abroad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and through my experiences I would like to illustrate the reason why studying abroad is such an enriching experience.
I did not have the typical experience that most students would have during the initial process of going abroad. I followed the same course of action many would take in studying abroad – I chose a country that interested me and that I had some background language knowledge of, I talked to my student advisor, and talked to my study abroad advisor. Everything seemed to be going as planned– the only issue that instilled fear in me was my finances. I knew that I would need to look at other means of gaining financial aid. I asked both my study abroad and merit awards advisor and they encouraged me to apply for scholarships and fellowships that are mainly for studying abroad.
To my surprise I found many different scholarships, some focusing just on language immersion, while others focused on internships, and even some that centered upon U.S. students studying in countries that are not visited as often as others. While researching different scholarships I came across one called the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship Program. This scholarship allocates funds to students who plan on going abroad. The scholarship pays for many different things such as visa applications, passport applications, transportation, and room and board in the country. After reading about this scholarship I was hooked; I knew that if I won the Gilman award, my study abroad experience would be more feasible. After thinking about it, I realized that it would be worth it to apply to the Gilman Scholarship whether I got the award or not.
My journey started with applying to a program at my school. I had been taking Portuguese classes and I learned more about Brazil every day. When my school opened a study abroad option to Brazil in Rio de Janeiro I knew that I was destined to go to the country. I applied to the program, and soon afterwards I applied for the Gilman Scholarship. I would not find out if I was accepted into the program or received the scholarship until the summer. I waited anxiously for any news. Finally, I heard from my school that I was accepted into the program at Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio (PUC-Rio), but I was still waiting to hear from the Gilman Scholarship. Shortly after my study abroad acceptance I heard back from the Gilman Scholarship staff. I had won the award! They were granting me $4,000 that would be used for my trip.
After all the great news from my school and the scholarship fund, I truly thought that it would only be smooth sailing from then on for Brazil. However, I was wrong. I had issues concerning my visa. Without the Brazilian Government collecting my visa application and returning it as accepted, I would not be allowed into the country. Unfortunately my visa was rejected, twice. I did not understand why and was completely miserable because I honestly thought that my dreams for Brazil would stay dreams. In fact my situation got so drastic that I signed up for classes at my university here in the States because I did not believe I was going. When I stressed my concerns to my study abroad advisor and my advisor at PUC-Rio, action was instantly taken. My visa application was rushed and within a week my visa was accepted. I booked a flight and was off to Rio de Janeiro by the following week to start school. When I finally sat on the plane for my trip to Brazil, I could only feel anxious and excited. Within hours I would be in a completely different country—from the weather to the different language of Portuguese.
After arriving in Brazil I cannot deny that I was nervous and a bit scared. Sure, I go to school out of state, but I am still in the country. Being in a foreign nation is completely different. A new language (depending on the nation), new norms, new culture, new food…these are just some changes I had to adjust to and everyone who goes abroad deals with. Even with these differences I was still welcomed by all the people I encountered with open arms. When I arrived at my new home, my host family (one woman and her son) made a traditional Brazilian dinner called feijoada, which consists of different types of meat—specifically marinated pork and beef and black beans. In addition, feijoada is typically served with white rice, chopped collard greens in olive oil, farofa (similar to sift flour), and orange slices. I was ecstatic and could not believe that as soon as I arrived in Rio de Janeiro for my homestay I was having a real Brazilian dinner. My homestay family was not the only group of people who made my first days in the country smooth. The workers at the local market helped me with showing me local places to visit, the exact location of my school, and even how to get to the beach! When I arrived to my new school for the semester, PUC-Rio, the staff for the school directed me to the building where the office for international students studying at the campus was located. The office staff greeted me very warmly. They gave me my schedule and then directed me to my classes. The classes I had for the semester were Brazilian History, Social Brazilian Debates, Brazilian Foreign Policy, and Portuguese. In fact one of my classes, Social Brazilian Debates, reminded me greatly of one of my Computer Magnet classes, Newspaper. I was a reporter for The Jefferson Journal and often had to interview people and do separate research in regards to a specific topic. For Social Brazilian Debates, I had to write a paper about HIV/AIDS treatment for the youth in Rio de Janeiro and interviewed various people such as school doctors and students at PUC-Rio. Newspaper class helped me greatly with this paper because I was able to refer to old articles I wrote and simultaneously switch gears from the strict academic writing I had been doing to a more reporter style type of writing that Newspaper class calls for.
I was extremely lucky with not only my classes, because they were interesting, but also the wonderful professors I had and my fellow classmates. My classmates came from all over the world such as France, Sweden, the United States, England, Mexico, Finland, and much, much more. My classmates became my friends and even like a second family because mine was so far away.
While in Brazil I knew that school was going to be a priority especially because I had started the term late. Still I knew that venturing into the city was going to be a huge factor. The country of Brazil and the city of Rio de Janeiro is one of the most unique places in the world. The nation has so much history and it is drastically different from ours, yet so similar. Like the United States, Brazil was a former colonized region. However it is different because it was colonized by the Portuguese. In the past Rio de Janeiro had become the imperial capital for the Portuguese empire. From that there were many remnants from the imperial nation such as Praça 15 (15 Square), the Jardim Botânico (Botanic Garden), the market in Urguaiana, or even the infamous arches of Lapa. In addition, Rio de Janeiro has the beautiful beaches, sports such as soccer and caproeira, which is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that originated from the slaves in colonial Brazil, the giant Cristo de Redentor (Christ the Redeemer), and distinct music such as samba. Also, when I was Rio de Janeiro, the city got the bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. I made sure to take advantage of this city while I had the chance to.
Though I also had some downs in my travels to Brazil, the positive aspects by far surpass the negative. I will forever be grateful to Brazil for what it showed me about myself and the world. I matured so much in Brazil because of the fact that home is not as easily accessible and that things will not always go as planned (such as with my visa). You have to do what works in your best interest. I also obtained a greater appreciation for my home country. The United States is something beautiful and unique in this world and I could even see that in a liberal country like Brazil. I am still however appreciative of the fact that I was able to see something different, yet see at the same time how globalized our world is becoming. Studying abroad is not solely about studying. Studying abroad is about immersing yourself into a new world that is different than what you find normal and comfortable. It is about learning how other countries teach their students so they can become more adaptable to change their styles. It’s about trying new food, experiencing new cultures, trying new things you would not normally do such as dancing the samba, learning about other histories, and much, much more. I know this is a time when many have other concerns, especially dealing with finances and the global atmosphere, but I implore all of you to look at a country that you want to visit. There are so many scholarships and fellowships that are out there for students or even workers that focus on all kinds of different majors and interests. All you have to do is simply look.
