The Colombian Elisa Martinez came to Brasil for the second time and she is ready to be a volunteer at an orphanage in Curitiba.

We welcomed the Colombian Elisa Martinez, a student of Mathematics at YALE. Although she was born in Colombia, she has lived in the United States, with her family, for the most part of her life. Elisa has a connection with Brazil because 3 of her siblings were born in Brazil and she did an one month exchange program in Rio de Janeiro last year. Now, she will be a volunteer at an Orphanage in Curitiba.  
Check out our interview with her:

Be: Why did you choose to come to Brazil for an exchange program?

I studied Portuguese in college, so I wanted to continue practicing it. I also wanted to get to know Brazil better because I am South American and Brazil is a prominent part of South America.

Be: What is the main reason you choose to go on exchange?

I offered a unique opportunity to experience a different culture and environment while doing something productive and developing my language skills.

Be: What are your goals with this experience? If we met at the end of your stay, which achievements would you like to tell your friends you had.

I want to improve my Portuguese, learn more about different ways to view the world, and to some degree contribute to the community where I stayed.
 

Be: How do you feel today that you are starting this experience?

I feel nervous, and little tired from my flight, but I am excited about my classes, about working at the orphanage, and about how nice my host family seems to be.