Terraka Garner
Life Editor
Starting their journeys with one year of submitted documents, turned in applications and tests taken, nine students finally took a four-flight overnight trip from different parts of Brazil to Pocatello to study abroad and to further their educations through Idaho State University.
These nine students include: Mariana Maisonnette, Jose Netto, Cezar Conrado, Matheus Esteves, Bruno Ferreira, Juliana Bento, Marcos Brocardo Jr, Rubenos Menezes Dos Santos, and Artur Lemos.
The nine travelers are all participants in the Brazilian Scientific Mobility Program (BSMP), a one-year non-degree program targeted at offering Brazilian students the chance to study abroad in the U.S.
Unlike other foreign exchange programs, the BSMP students are limited in which classes they may take, and must focus solely on their respective science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) focuses.
The majority of these students said they are eager to master their English and to bring back an idea of what the American culture is like to their families.
“I want to improve how things are going in Brazil and try to help another student come here,” said Conrado. “I want to tell them about the fried foods and the breakfast. Everyone has trucks here and big cars.”
Conrado said his parents were reluctant about him coming to America, but that his sister convinced them he would be OK.
“My mom’s like ‘no, no, please don’t go,’ and my brother doesn’t like the idea too but my sister was who supported me because my sister already went to France and then she came to finish her degree in Brazil,” said Conrado.
Brazil is well known for the soccer teams, the parks and the available activities. Rice and beans are a common homemade food in Brazil, and both are among the favorite foods of the nine foreign exchange students. One thing these students have noticed about America is the apparent astounding difference in portion size.
“The two days that I had breakfast here, I didn’t eat lunch at all. I just ate something like fruits,” said Lemos. “To me, the most shocking thing is how can you eat that much food? In Brazil, breakfast is a piece of toast.”
Lemos is from Sâo Paulo, which he said is a big city. He said Sâo Paulo has a lot of culture, museums, theaters, movies and “almost everything that’s in big cities.” He wants to play soccer and possibly play basketball while attending ISU.
These students were granted the chance to converse with other foreign exchange students. In doing this, some students discussed the similarities and the differences of their ways of living.
“We had a barbeque on Sunday. On the Yellowstone trip, I got to know a Sweden girl and some guys from Mexico. It’s interesting to get to know them, like they are so different and at the same time we have a lot of things in common, so that’s a good thing,” said Dos Santos.
Dos Santos is majoring in what is known as Control and Automation Engineering in Brazil, and what’s called Mechanical Engineering here. He said it’s hard for him to be away from his family.
Most of the nine students said Americans act disparately from the way they do in Brazil.
“We flirt very differently than you do here,” said Maisonnette. “Brazil has this stereotype that they’re like more sexual and stuff, but actually we see that here, we don’t see that there.”
Maisonnette said she loves to dance and likes attending parties to meet new people. She is majoring in Mechanical Engineering.
In contrast, Dos Santos said, “In Brazil, people are more touchy. I’m looking forward to see how people here [communicate].”
Netto said he had an interesting and cool experience after he first arrived in Pocatello.
“I just arrived here and I didn’t know anything and I just thought I will walk around and know the city. I needed to buy some things like a bed sheet and a blanket and I didn’t know where I could find it. I just walked around asking ‘do you know where I can find it?’ This place, this place. I go to the market and I bought some things like toothpaste and this kind of thing, shampoo. I was asking the cashier and they say Fred Meyer but it’s far away. Someone say ‘I live near this place and do you want a ride?’ That’s not a thing that’s usual in Brazil. It’s not the kind of thing that a person you don’t know just offer,” said Netto. “It was cool.”
Ferreira appreciates the clean air and the unique people in Pocatello.
“The people are very receptive. I didn’t think this in the past. Here the city is cleaner than in Brazil,” said Ferreira.
Though these students came here to learn their trade of choice, they are looking forward to making new friends, and to learning about American culture.
“I’m looking forward to not only the technical knowledge but also the culture. I think it would be a good opportunity. I really want to help the people [in Brazil],” said Esteves.
Esteves finds family to be most important. He said he uses email, Skype and other means of modern technology to keep in touch with them. When he thinks of Idaho, the first thing he thinks of is the “famous potatoes.”
“Things are pretty different here. The food, the costumes, the way people act. On trends, like greeting people, it’s very different than in Brazil. The sleeping times, the whole graduate program is different,” said Brocardo. “I’m looking forward to the experience, the interaction, the language but also the academic reasons. As a transfer student in another country I have access to a new set of disciplines and then I can enrich my curriculum. Also I can practice my language and like almost master it. Something that I can’t do in Brazil because English born speakers in Brazil are rare.”
