As a child in Brazil, Mariana Freitas de Macedo, AS ’20, BBA ’22, dreamed of studying in the United States. Attending ’s American Academy at the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná in Curitiba, Brazil, did more than help that dream come true—it helped her decide on a career.
When she entered the program three years ago, de Macedo, now 21, had no idea what she wanted to do for a living. The American Academy offered her an opportunity unique to an American education—the chance to explore the liberal arts for two years before committing to a career path.
In Brazil and around the world, many students must select their majors before they enroll at a university. Then they exclusively study that subject until they earn a four-year degree.
“Having to decide my major only the semester before I came to Kent State was very helpful,” says de Macedo. She ultimately chose to major in business management and graduated in December 2022. Back in Brazil now, she is applying for jobs in her field.
A warm welcome
When de Macedo came to the Kent Campus in August 2021, she found it charming. “It reminds me of those cute little cities in movies,” she says, adding, “everything is so well organized.”
She noticed differences from universities in her native Brazil. There, she says, most students choose to live at home, rendering dormitories largely unnecessary. At Kent State, she enjoyed the chance to meet and mingle with students who are studying different majors.
“What I most love about the program are the many possibilities open to me,” de Macedo says. “Getting to know new people from different places and cultures is amazing.”
Coming to a new country without her family, de Macedo admits, is “very hard.” But when she arrived at Kent State, she says staff members and her professors welcomed her warmly and “gave me a lot of support and opportunities to meet new people.”
Having three American roommates helped her make friends quickly, too. And in her student job, she calculated GPAs for international students for a senior international admissions counselor in the Office of Global Education, where she also made connections with other students through events and programs.
Her favorite professor, Nichole Egbert, PhD, who teaches courses in health and relational communication in the School of Communication Studies, even gave students “tips about what to do in Kent and places to visit,” de Macedo says. “[Egbert] was an amazing, responsible, caring and dedicated professor. I wish I had another class with her!”