Hello everyone! My name is Cassie. I’m going to be a junior this coming fall and I’m majoring in Supply Chain Management with minors in International Business and Economics (I think). I’ve already been studying abroad for around two weeks now in Brazil. I’ve been to the cities of Salvador and Rio de Janeiro and to the island of Itaparica off of Salvador. I decided I wanted to come to Brazil to learn about a country so unique and unlike any other, and one that is extremely underrated and not as well known at that. I can say I’ve already accomplished that and fortunately I still have weeks left. As much as I love Europe, when I looked at programs for this summer I wanted something different. I wanted a program somewhere that I wouldn’t get to normally experience and one that I didn’t have 10 friends already applying for the trip. I wanted an experience unlike any other. Not only that, Brazil is a BRIC country which means it is one of the most rapidly developing countries in the world. It’s becoming an economic powerhouse and becoming an integral role in the business world. I also can’t forget to mention the World Cup is taking place in Brazil this summer and I’m living in one of the home cities. I’ve learned so much of this culture and it has really opened my eyes to so much. I hope to continue to learn about the culture and learn more Portuguese (I’m taking a class here in it). I’ve heard so many terrible things about the safety in Brazil but so far it’s all been wrong. As long as you use common sense and listen to what they tell you- it’s completely safe. I want to still believe that when I go home and be able to really enlighten people to what Brazil is really like, an amazing and beautiful country. 

Location: Salvador, Bahia, Brazil