April 18, 2025 This past semester, my Earth and Environmental Science class traveled to Puerto Rico to conduct field research for our Senior Seminar class. The trips purpose is to allow student to create and develop their own research project and plan, and how the opportunity to conduct it hands-on in the field. I was beyond excited to go but …
Off-Campus Immersion
Political Messaging in Brazil and Cuba
For this assignment, I was asked to reflect on an image that another student found thought-provoking and analyze what I think is important about this image, before and after reading the accompanying essay. I chose a photo set in Havana, Cuba, taken by my peer, Henry Leighton. March 31, 2025 Henry’s photo of a billboard initially appeared to be a …
Solitude in Florianópolis
April 28, 2025 I didn’t expect to become a beach person. When I was a child, every winter my family drove down to Florida, and I despised the idea of going. I’ve never felt drawn to the idea of lying around in the sun, doing nothing while being sticky with sweat and surrounded by other people. But in Florianópolis, Brazil, …
Gilman: Statement of Purpose
March 10, 2023 As a little girl, I was immersed in the world of agronomy and natural sciences. Working and living on my family’s farm in Poland each summer gave me a real insight into what it takes to harvest and plant crops. With hard labor and ideal environmental conditions, any vegetation can thrive, but climate change and inadequate resource …
A Taste of Home in Brazil
March 15, 2025 The first month of my study abroad experience in Brazil was marked by silence and isolation. Although I was beyond excited to go, my timidness held me back, and the overwhelming cultural differences left me feeling out of place and detached. Every day felt like a challenge. I was navigating a new language, a new routine, and …
Lembrança do Senhor do Bomfim da Bahia
October 28, 2024 The first and only time I went to northern Brazil was for a field trip to the city of Salvador, in the state of Bahia, with other students from the Brazil Middlebury Schools Abroad program. It was around noon, and the sun burned everyone and everything in its path. I was immensely grateful to be on this …
Autobiografia Linguistica
This piece in Italian reflects on my personal relationship with language and how different languages have shaped who I am. From growing up speaking only Polish as a child in Chicago, to the difficult transition into English, and later discovering joy and connection through Italian and Portuguese, each language carries a unique emotional weight. Some remind me of family and …
Viagem a Salvador
This reflection recounts my first day in Salvador, Brazil, a city full of culture, warmth, and unforgettable energy. From the early morning departure and long flight with friends to exploring the beaches of Rio Vermelho and trying local foods like acarajé and tapioca, every moment felt rich with new experiences. The food, music, and spirit of the city left a …