Student Spotlight: Kelci Cunningham in Brazil
How do daily routines—like shopping, cooking, or resting—differ from what you’re used to at home?
I lived in a dorm hall for the fall 2025 semester, I didn't have to buy produce and meats as the dining hall was located next to my building. The American dollar is stronger than a Brazilian Reai, so the groceries and meals I order at restaurants are cheap. There is a street market called Feira that occurs every Tuesday and there, stores and vendors sell fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat. I prefer going to the Feira rather than the grocery store as it can be cheaper.
Can you describe a new friendship or connection you made there? How was it different from friendships at home?
I haven't started classes at my host university yet, but a connection I made was with my Brazilian roommate. In each apartment, students are paired with a Brazilian roommate. My roommate is Afro-Brazilian, she is not fluent in English and I am not fluent in Portuguese so we have been helping each other learn each others language. She has also been helpful with teaching me and my roommates about Brazilian culture. I don't have a friend back home who isn't not fluent in English, so this experience so far has also been helping me with my communication skills. Additionally, many Brazilians don't speak English, so every interaction I have at stores have been beneficial. Yesterday, a lady came up to me discussing the service at the store in Portuguese. I told her that I only speak a little Portuguese. She also only spoke a little bit of English. When I was trying to communicate that I was a international student studying for the semester in Portuguese she was very patient with me!
What surprised you about school or classes there—how students learn, interact, or manage their day?
Classes are usually 2hr 30min or more long, professors give students a 20 minute break in between. A lot of the students at my host university do not live in the same city as the University so many of them take long commutes from their houses to the university, it can take an hour or more depending on where in Sao Paulo state they live at. Additionally, many of the students also have part-time jobs while they are here enrolled in school.