Jesús Jiménez from the Culinary Arts program obtained a scholarship to study at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
When you entered Uni, did you know there were international programs?
Yes, when asking for admission information, they mentioned the internationalization program and some of the places with which they have agreements.
When you entered your career, did you think you would go to live and study abroad?
No, when I entered I had the illusion of being able to do it and when I was accepted to go to Brazil it was something I did not expect, I was very excited and grateful.
Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?
No, this is my first time out of Mexico.
What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?
The experience of being able to be in another country and learn about different cultures.
Why did you decide to study in that country?
Because it offered the career I am studying and to learn another language; to strengthen my professional skills.
How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?
Very strange because it was the first time I was leaving Mexico and for a long time I would not be seeing my family, friends, etc.
How have you been received at the university where you arrived?
I have been very well received by each of the people who work or study here, it was a very warm welcome especially in the patience of the language since I arrived without knowing Portuguese.
What will you miss most about Mexico and UNI?
My family, friends and the food because the food here in Brazil is very different and not as varied as it is in Mexico. And from UNI to be in my area of study Culinary Art.
What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?
To learn about the culture and be with people from different countries, to learn a new language from the speaking country, to visit places I had only seen in movies, to fend for myself, to learn to organize myself administratively and personally.
And the hardest part?
To be independent.
What do you expect as a person and as a professional from this experience?
As a person I hope to grow, to realize what is important and to give more importance to what is worthwhile, to value what I have and to accept it.
And professionally I am in a dilemma because even though I like the career, I feel that it is not my career and in this trip I was able to realize that.
Do you recommend these opportunities provided by Uni to your colleagues?
I highly recommend it because it is a unique opportunity in which you experience many things, good and bad, but it is an experience that I believe every student can experience once while studying their career.
Thanks for the opportunity!