From USP to UGA, Fulbright Teaching Assistant from Brazil Shares His Story

Welcome to Romario Souza Santos! This is his first semester teaching Portuguese to UGA students as a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FTLA) in the Department of Romance Languages. He shares his reflections on being a cultural ambassador:

Coming from a modest family, I am a first-generation college student. Before graduating, I took on several different jobs, each of which provided me with skills that later helped me navigate university life. In 2017, I was accepted to the University of São Paulo (USP), the largest public university in South America. This was a life-changing experience for me, as I was deeply immersed in the world of the Arts and gained a better understanding of Brazil in its colonial condition as a Latin American nation.

I graduated from USP in 2023 with a degree in English and Portuguese Linguistics, Literature, and Teaching. On August 1^st, I arrived in the United States through the Fulbright Commission, and now I have plans to share my passion for Brazil – its language, people, and cultures. While performing my duties as a cultural ambassador, I often find myself reflecting: What is Brazil? This simple yet challenging question has been on the minds of many Brazilian authors since the early days of our independence.

As I teach, engage in discussions and share experiences, I am constantly learning something new about myself and my people. I believe this ongoing learning is an integral part of my Fulbright program at the University of Georgia.