Silvia Joana Morales is studying Nutrition at Uni, and thanks to international scholarships she was able to spend a semester in Brazil.
When you entered Uni did you know there were international programs?
Yes, in fact that's why I wanted to study Nutrition at Uni, because of the programs that the University offers and that open the doors to continue with your professional growth.
Did you think you would go live and study abroad in your first semester?
No, my idea was always to be able to apply to a program when I was in my 5th semester but I never thought I would have the opportunity to study outside my country.
Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?
No, never. This was my first time.
What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?
I was very motivated throughout my career to study abroad because my idea at first was to study in a city near Celaya (Queretaro or Leon), in the end I was not given the opportunity and then my idea was to get into an international program and that's how every semester I was getting good grades, participating in cultural events, being part of the Alumni Society etc..
Why did you decide to study in that country?
I decided to choose Brazil because I wanted to get to know its culture, to learn another language was always a priority, because of the good comments made by other Mexican students and because the university is one of the best in the country.
How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?
At first I felt out of place, afraid, I started to miss everything about Mexico, everything was new to me and there was a moment when I wanted to go back. As time went by I got used to it and I liked it more and more until I came to the point of wanting to live in Porto Alegre for a long time.
How have you been received at the university where you arrived?
I was received in the best way, I always felt supported by my professors, classmates, my university friend and academic mobility was always attentive to all foreign students.
What will you miss most about Mexico?
Without a doubt, my family and Mexican food.
What about the Uni?
My friends and teachers.
What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?
Meeting people from many countries was one of the best experiences I have ever had, some of them become your family. To be able to visit Christ the Redeemer twice was something impressive, to do trilhas and to be able to do my internship at the São Lucas Hospital.
And the hardest part?
I had to go to the doctor for an ear infection and suffered a fall that left me incapacitated for several days.
I know that afterwards I will have to say goodbye to the friendships I made in Brazil.
What do you expect as a person and as a professional from this program?
Mainly it made me grow as a person, in relation to being able to have another vision of things, to trust more in myself, to believe that I am capable of achieving everything I set my mind to and that the world is so big that no matter where we are, that to want is to be able to and with this experience to apply all my knowledge I learned for my life and profession.
Do you recommend these opportunities provided by Uni to your colleagues?
Of course, it is a unique opportunity that I would like other people to experience what I am experiencing now and that they will not regret, whether it is in Brazil or some other country, for me it is one of the best decisions I have made and that has benefited me a lot as a person.