{"id":11780,"date":"2016-04-04T14:19:30","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T14:19:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/international\/?p=11780"},"modified":"2024-01-30T10:37:11","modified_gmt":"2024-01-30T15:37:11","slug":"international-student-story-ola-from-brazil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/international\/international-student-story-ola-from-brazil\/","title":{"rendered":"International Student Story: Ol\u00e1 from Brazil!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"onesiforo\"<\/a>
Onesiforo Souza, International Student from Brazil.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hello! My name is Onesiforo Souza. I am from Natal, Brazil. \u201cNatal\u201d means “Christmas” in Portuguese, and the city is named Natal because it\u00a0was founded on December 25, 1599 by the Portuguese. It is the capital and largest city of the State of Rio Grande do Norte. Located 31 meters (102 ft.) above sea level, Natal boasts many beautiful beaches, is surrounded by sand dunes, and is blessed with 300 sunny\u00a0days a year. For these reasons, the city has been nicknamed both the \u201cCity of the Sun\u201d and the \u201cCity of Dunes\u201d. The city\u2019s water is among the purest in Brazil and, according to NASA, Natal has the purest air in the Americas. During World War II, Natal served as a rocket launch base for Americans. For this reason, Natal has also been called the \u201cSpace Capital of Brazil\u201d. Natal is home to many beautiful beaches which can be appreciated year-round, given the city\u2019s favorable climate. Its South Coast is comprised of 15 beaches and the North Coast hosts 20 beaches, all to be enjoyed and admired for its wonderful sights and spots. Visitors are amazed by\u00a0the more than 400km of Atlantic Coast, which can be explored either by foot or on an exciting buggy excursion over the dunes, along the coast and past the lagoons. \u00a0Ponta Negra is the most famous and most-visited Natal urban beach.<\/p>\n

I was raised in the middle of American missionaries in my town and I grew up with\u00a0a\u00a0curiosity to learn a\u00a0little more about\u00a0that culture. Time passed, and\u00a0a new\u00a0opportunity came to me. I worked twelve years in a commercial aviation company. I was the aircraft load balancing control and I needed to improve my English to have better communication\u00a0with the pilots. I decided to come to Florida with the aim of studying English. Tampa was my first point of interest. I\u2019ve continued to be fascinated by\u00a0the American culture as I\u2019ve gotten to learn more through my college experience.<\/p>\n

I chose to become an SPC student for a few reasons. First, the college was highly recommended by friends who had already had a positive experience at SPC. One of the critical decisions for me was the highly qualified and experienced professors. I also chose SPC for the great flexibility and I knew that as a student at SPC, I would have ample time to explore my options and find the right major for me and that it was going to be a great program.<\/p>\n

“For me studying abroad has been life changing. It has changed my perspective in many ways, due to the different people I have met, the experiences I have shared, and the culture, in general, that I\u2019ve gotten to be\u00a0part of.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Although, it was sometimes a challenge to adapt to the different customs, traditions, and ways of learning shared with me at SPC, I believe it has allowed me to be better equipped and confident in my skills and knowledge. Studying at SPC has benefited my life a lot\u00a0and I would recommend it to others.<\/p>\n

For the next year, I will be concentrating on\u00a0my OPT (Optional Practical Training) program, which is an honor and a privilege, which gives\u00a0me the best opportunity to get practical training and expand my knowledge in my field of study. I realize that working in the U.S. for a full year under the program is a valuable experience, which has the ability of opening doors for me in the future. Five years from now, I see myself holding a degree in Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and working with a great computer company.<\/p>\n

Written by:\u00a0Onesiforo Souza<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hello! My name is Onesiforo Souza. I am from Natal, Brazil. \u201cNatal\u201d means “Christmas” in Portuguese, and the city is named Natal because it\u00a0was founded on December 25, 1599 by the Portuguese. It is the capital and largest city of the State of Rio Grande do Norte. Located 31 meters (102 ft.) above sea level, … Continue reading International Student Story: Ol\u00e1 from Brazil!<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":614,"featured_media":11782,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[93,40],"tags":[73],"coauthors":[133],"class_list":["post-11780","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international-students","category-news","tag-international-students"],"yoast_head":"\r\nInternational Student Story: Ol\u00e1 from Brazil! - Center for International Programs<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/international\/international-student-story-ola-from-brazil\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"International Student Story: Ol\u00e1 from Brazil! - Center for International Programs\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Hello! My name is Onesiforo Souza. I am from Natal, Brazil. \u201cNatal\u201d means “Christmas” in Portuguese, and the city is named Natal because it\u00a0was founded on December 25, 1599 by the Portuguese. It is the capital and largest city of the State of Rio Grande do Norte. 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