Olá from Brazil! The photos are from a University of Utah alumni event, held on April 14 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. We have many prominent alumni in the Sao Paulo area, and throughout Brazil. Mark Neeleman, for example, is a member of the U’s first graduating cohort in International Studies. Mark is an entrepreneur, noteworthy for his energetic and steadfast commitment to the U. Jeff Silva is a Business graduate employed at Hewlett-Packard in Sao Paulo, and our newly elected Brazil alumni chapter president (special thanks, Jeff!). Maike (Communication) is a Salt Lake native and former staff member with Governor Jon Huntsman; she now resides in Brazil with her young family. Mike (Business grad) is in a leadership role at KPMG. These are just a few of our many alums and friends who now reside in Brazil and were eager to reconnect with the U through our event.
Mary Parker (AVP Enrollment Management), Courtney McBeth (Associate Director) and I were in Brazil with the primary aim of building stronger partnerships to attract Brazilian students to excellence and opportunity at the U. As noted above, we’ve enlisted the help of Brazilian alumni and friends in our recruitment efforts; the alumni gathering engaged graduates in our network of informal “recruiters.” We also visited high schools, universities, and community leaders who share our goal of advancing educational opportunities for young Brazilians. Our meetings, dialogues and school visits revealed that there are many Brazilians with a keen interest in attending the U, and many partners ready to assist us as we strengthen our presence and visibility.
You may be surprised to learn that there are 68 students currently enrolled at the U who are from Brazil: some sponsored by their government for 1-2 years of study through the Science Without Borders program, and others with us for a complete undergraduate or graduate degree program. Their stories reveal very positive experiences at the U – here’s a link so that you can hear directly from current students.
Why the global focus? And, why Brazil?
We are preparing students for lives as leaders and citizens in a global 21st century. Faculty at the U are working with scholars around the world, studying societal issues such as health, economic development, and culture and conflict on a global level. We are a stronger, better university when we engage students and scholars from many countries. International student enrollment at the U has fallen in recent years. We strive to reverse that trend and welcome the assistance of our worldwide alumni community in reaching out to particularly promising regions, such as Brazil, where we have partners who will help and where we have indications of interest and a strong foundation on which to build focused efforts.
Obrigada (thank you) for reading and joining the effort, and special thanks to our Brazilian amigos both old and new.