We recently welcomed the Finnish Ilari Lahtela in Curitiba. He has a Master in Theology and is currently doing a Master in Education.  He has worked leading and teaching for several years in Finland as well as he volunteered in Angola, teaching English at a local teacher’s Program. Here in Brazil, Ilari will be an intern at  ELO Apoio Social e Ambiental, an institution that creates opportunities to change teenagers’ lives through their preparation and placement for the workplace in the future.

We met Ilari to know more about his first impressions about Brazil. Here you can check our interview with the student:

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

I had already visited Brazil before and studied Portuguese. I wanted to return to learn more about the country and its culture.

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

I wanted to put into practice the things I had learned during my studies at the university. I believe that by doing an internship abroad I can expand my views on teaching and learning.

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.

My main goals are professional. I hope I can both contribute to the personal development of my students and improve my own skills as a teacher, hopefully, by the end of my stay,  I’ve also made new friends here.

Be: How do you feel today that you are starting this experience? Can you describe your feelings?

I’m excited about starting my internship and it feels good to have arrived in Curitiba. It’ll be interesting to see what the next few months have in store for us -I have a feeling that the time will pass by real fast so I’m prepared to enjoy every moment.