My story
When I was four years old, my mother enrolled me in the American School of Recife. She wanted me to attend an international school so that I could learn new languages and meet people from across the world. My family did not support my mother's decision, since the American School of Recife was extremely expensive and did not adequately prepare students for the Brazilian college entrance exams (more information on the "Education in Brazil" page). Even so, my mother insisted and eventually they agreed.
Even though I later moved to different cities, my mother always enrolled me in American schools. Growing up, I never truly understood why. When I started high school, this began to change. I started to observe how my friends in Brazilian school did not really care about learning. While my education at an American school allowed me to learn about the world and discover myself, my friends had one objective: memorizing their way through college entrance exams. When I began to apply to college, I thanked my mother for the great opportunity she had provided me. The education I received changed the way I looked at the world and the international community present at my school allowed me to have a wider perspective. I was ecstatic to learn more about the world by moving to a different country. When I arrived to Atlanta, my excitement turned into fear. My life here was very different than my life at home. I had to learn to become much more independent, however I was already expecting that, since everyone needs to make this transition when moving to college. I did not think of how different it would feel to move so far away from home, however. I did not stop to consider that I would have to adapt to a completely distinct culture. After having lived here for six months, I believe I learned a lot about American culture and that I will take a part of the United States back home with me. |