Student Profiles
Sam Kinsman
Major: Finance
Goal: plans to intern in New York this summer in the investment banking division of Goldman Sachs
“Before studying Portuguese, I had already decided I wanted to work in Latin America business because of the prospects for exciting growth over the course of my career. When I found out about Portuguese Flagship, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to learn Portuguese, see Brazil, and prepare myself to work in Latin America’s largest country.
The most obvious benefit of being a flagship student is being able to participant in the capstone year abroad in Brazil with financial support from the program. This year abroad involves studying in a Brazilian university and working in a professional internship all with the aim of achieving superior proficiency in Portuguese. In addition to this experience, being a flagship student allows you to be part of a group of open minded, driven people who recognize the importance of learning other languages. I hope to use my Portuguese to work in business in Brazil. The energy industry (because of oil discoveries and biofuel technology) the banking industry, and the consumer sector are all huge areas of growth and Brazilian and multinational companies alike are looking for qualified candidates who, of course, know Portuguese. I hope to be a part of this exciting economic and social development by working in banking or financial consulting in Brazil.”
Emily Escoe
Currently working at a global logistics firm in Atlanta called Expeditors
“Oi pessoal! I’m Emily Escoe, and I am a Senior, Public Relations major and Portuguese minor. When I arrived at UGA, I knew I wanted to learn another language; however, I had no idea which one. I started taking Portuguese courses my first semester to fulfill my foreign language requirement, loved the classes, and continued taking one each semester, eventually deciding I absolutely had to visit the country of Carnaval, Bossa Nova and Cristo Redentor. When I found out about the Portuguese Flagship Program, I knew it would be a great opportunity to learn about Brazilian culture, business practices and the Portuguese language. The program was especially appealing to me because of its focus on immersion in both a university and business atmosphere. As a Flagship student, I admit that I am humbled on a daily basis as there are still words I don’t know and simple activities I have to ask for help with. However, I am learning about another country on a level that I could never do through a traditional study abroad program, becoming fluent in another language, gaining work experience in my area of choice, trying new foods I’ve never heard of, seeing breathtaking landscapes, meeting some of the nicest and most welcoming people I’ve ever met in my life and growing tremendously as person, making every bit of the frustrations and hard work worth the experience in the end. Following graduation, I hope to use Portuguese in collaboration with my Public Relations degree, working in government relations or the business sector serving as a liaison between the United States and Brazil.”
Adedolapo Adekunle
Major: Biology & Romance Languages
“Oi gente! I am currently a senior Biology and Romance Languages double major. My personal relationship with Portuguese began when I was young, listening to the Brazilian Bossa Nova records my father had collected in our house. Because Portuguese was not offered in my high school, once I started college, one of the first things I did was enroll in Portuguese classes. I loved the courses, but I found it difficult to balance my language classes, my science classes, and my desire to study abroad; that is until I discovered The Portuguese Flagship Program. Finally, a funded opportunity presented itself to be able to continue my science classes, but to also have a full year of cultural and linguistic immersion in Brazil. That is the benefit of being a Flagship student, you are provided support, but you are independent, and therefore you are able to understand Brazil unlike any other program I have seen at UGA. I am also thinking about internship opportunities for the second half of the program; an internship that I plan on helping me on my upcoming medical school applications. My ultimate dream is returning to the continent of my birth and doing medical missions in Angola or Mozambique, and although I do not know for sure if and when this dream will be accomplished, at least I can say that The Portuguese Flagship Program laid the foundation for that dream to pursued.”
Alvaro Bonaguro
Major: Economics & International Business
“I wanted to learn Portuguese in order to compliment my majors of Economics and International Business due to Brazil’s status as a rising economic power. Benefits of being a Portuguese Flagship student include small group tutorials and long study abroad period where you can learn both the culture and the language while also advancing academically and professionally. I plan to use the language proficiency acquired during my experience as a Flagship student to pursue professional opportunities in Brazil related to my fields of expertise.”
Brielle Terbeek
Major: International Affairs
Caroline Stephenson
Major: Romance Languages and Sociology
“I became interested in Portuguese after seeing various Brazilian films. I found the language beautiful. I chose to attend UGA in part because I knew I would be able to study Portuguese here, and I began my study of the language during my freshman year. The benefits of being a Flagship student are myriad. The Portuguese Flagship Program is different from almost all other study abroad programs because you are required to already have a solid base in Portuguese, which I can say prepares you greatly for your time in Brazil. The required Capstone year also makes Flagship an extremely valuable experience. At first I was intimidated by the idea of spending a year abroad, but now I can’t imagine spending only a semester here. It simply would not be enough time to be immersed in Brazil and to enjoy and learn all there is to be had. I intend to use Portuguese in my future career, whether it be in the field of foreign language education, sociology, or working for a global company.”
David Gutierrez
Major: Sociology & Spanish
“I became interested in Portuguese because it was something new yet at the same time vaguely familiar. As a Spanish major, I have always been interested in the Romance Languages, but when I had the chance to visit Brazil two years ago, I got to experience first-hand how unique and beautiful the country, the people and the language are. Later, I learned that given Brazil’s recent successes in the global marketplace, it is actually a very economically sound decision to take up Portuguese. As a Flagship student, having the support of the Portuguese department helps immensely. The fact that the Flagship is a prestigious and competitive program with support from the United States government only adds to the value equation. After graduation, I plan to use my knowledge of Portuguese and Spanish to work in international business in Latin America in the Human Resources field.”
Frank Coutinho
Major: International Affairs
“I am a heritage speaker of Spanish, and I became interested in Portuguese due to the similarity it shares with Spanish and due to the emergence of Brazil in South America. Being a Flagship student provides access to small group Portuguese tutorials and unique cultural events as well as financial aid to pursue language proficiency abroad in Brazil over an extended period of time. I plan to use my Portuguese language abilities along with my degree in international affairs to either work as a Foreign Service Officer or to work for a multinational corporation abroad.”
Ghyslaine Pabon
Major: Romance Languages
“My name is Ghyslaine and I am a Romance Languages student at UGA. I started learning Portuguese during my first semester of college because I wanted to learn a new language that I had never thought much about before. However, I quickly fell in love with the language and decided to become fluent. In the future, I plan to use my knowledge of Portuguese to work as a government linguist, specifically as a translator or interpreter. The Flagship program is great because it opens students to new countries and cultures while helping them reach a high level of fluency in a language that is extremely important to the United States.”
Maggie Johnston
Major: Sociology
“I’ve wanted to learn Portuguese for as long as I can remember. Not only was I attracted to the language for all of the regular reasons – its beauty and the beauty of its country, and its value in the business and governmental realms, but also for more personal reasons. My grandmother was born and raised in Brazil, but never passed the language on to my mother, and thus on to me. Until coming to UGA, learning the language in depth seemed like something of an impossibility, and visiting Brazil out of the question. But the Portuguese department at UGA, and the Portuguese Flagship Program through LACSI, have allowed me to realize both of those seemingly unattainable dreams. The benefits of the Flagship are many, but chief among them is the fact that I am able to be more fully immersed in the language, and for a longer time, than I would be with almost any other program. The skills acquired this year will differentiate me from the competition in both my future academic and professional careers.”
Mary McTague
Major: History
“I first became interested in Portuguese due to my family. My mother is Brazilian and speaks Portuguese in the home, and in fact, my father does too, even though he is American. However, I unfortunately never learned the language as a child. Learning Portuguese at UGA has been remarkable for me because I can finally speak to my family. Yet the benefits do not end there, Portuguese has given me opportunities like the Flagship, but more importantly, Portuguese enables me to stand out against the sea of other qualified students to give a better chance in the professional world. In the future, I hope to either continue my studies or start a career in Brazil.”
