Summer in Brazil: Arriving in Perdizes, São Paulo
The 2025 Summer in Brazil program is officially underway! Students have kicked off their classes at CET and are already exploring the vibrant city of São Paulo. Over the next six weeks, our summer correspondent Sofia Patiño-Vergara, a rising junior in the School of Business, will be sharing reflections and highlights from her experience in the program. Read her first piece about arriving in Brazil and stay tune for more!
I arrived in São Paulo at 4:30 a.m. on June 7th. Although I was completely exhausted from the long overnight flight, I was equally filled with excitement and anticipation about starting this new chapter of my life; I will be living, learning, and exploring Brazil for six full weeks. From the moment I landed, one of the first things I noticed was how incredibly kind and patient everyone in Brazil seemed to be. Whether it was airport staff, uber drivers, or locals on the street, people were warm, friendly, and open to helping me understand what they were saying, especially when I struggled with the language. It immediately made me feel welcome.
In addition to the kindness of the Brazilians, I was also struck by how friendly and enthusiastic the other students arriving for the CET program were. Many of us were meeting for the first time, but there was an instant sense of friendship. Everyone was eager to get to know one another, and it felt like we were all in this together, navigating a new country, culture, and language.
Once we left the airport, the CET staff took us to the apartments we would be living in during our time in Brazil. These apartments are shared with Brazilian students attending PUC and other program members so we can be completely immersed in the language, even at home. When I arrived at my apartment in the neighborhood of Perdizes, I was greeted by two incredibly sweet individuals who were both born and raised in São Paulo, Isabella, and Amanda. I was assigned to share a room with one of the Brazilians already living there, and I was so relieved that we hit it off right away. From the start, our conversations felt like we had been friends forever, and I knew that having a Brazilian roommate would help me improve my Portuguese and also help me understand the culture on a much deeper level.
To be completely honest, the first weekend was overwhelming in almost every way. I was mentally and physically drained from adapting to so many new things at once: a different language, unfamiliar surroundings, and the energy it takes to introduce yourself over and over again. I had also made a promise through CET to speak only Portuguese, which, while exciting, added to the difficulties. Still, despite how tired I felt, I pushed myself to meet new people and explore the city. And once I got past that initial exhaustion, I realized I had made one of the best decisions of my life by choosing this program.
Although it’s only been one week, it already feels like I’ve lived through a dozen memorable experiences. One of the highlights so far was a field trip this past Thursday, June 12th, when CET took us to the city center of São Paulo. We walked through areas rich with history and architecture and visited the neighborhood of Liberdade, known for its Japanese immigrant community. The Japanese cultural influence there fascinated me, especially since I’ll be studying abroad in Tokyo this fall.
Between the beautiful art and architecture, the people, the food, and the language immersion, this first week has been nothing but amazing. I’m filled with excitement for the weeks to come as I'm eager to explore more of São Paulo and Brazil, deepen friendships, and continue growing my confidence in Portuguese!
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Summer in Brazil is a 6-week summer program sponsored by the Stone Center for Latin American Studies at Tulane University and the Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies at Vanderbilt University. It caters to graduate and undergraduate students who wish to achieve a high-level of Portuguese fluency through immersion in Brazilian culture.
You can learn more about our Summer in Latin America programs here.
