Julia Monteiro sat with a college counselor answering questions. The Brazilian native was trying to determine the best place to go to university.

“What kind of weather do you like?”

Monteiro’s answer landed her at Syracuse University.

“When it’s cold, it’s too cold,” Monteiro said. “But it’s a really nice campus. I still like cold weather, but Syracuse pushes it.”

Since landing at SU, the freshman film major has adapted to the weather. Monteiro grew up in Sao Paulo but she spent a lot of time in Florida, where her grandparents live.

Sao Paulo is a huge city with a “large mix of cultures,” so Monteiro wasn’t shocked by the size and diversity of the SU campus. But she notices people in her home country are more open and intimate, while Americans are sometimes more guarded.

“Also, we don’t have donuts in Brazil,” Monteiro giggled.

Monteiro’s favorite part of moving to Syracuse is the friends she has made. She has a very diverse friend group — all people she met at international student orientation.

“I’ve learned so much about different places,” Monteiro said. “It’s amazing how although we were raised in such different ways, we still managed to connect.”

Additionally, Monteiro immerses herself in her studies. She sat in the sun on Marshall Street, quietly studying before the storm of Mayfest hit Walnut Park. Montiero always had a love of writing, and chose her film major to learn the visual aspect.

When she isn’t studying, Monteiro loses herself in Netflix. Her English skills are partially owed to Netflix, Monteiro said. She laughed and struggled to pick a favorite show, but she likes “How I Met Your Mother.”

“You can’t ask me that question, you’re asking me to choose my favorite child,” Monteiro said.

Monteiro looks forward to making the journey back to Brazil this summer to see her family, especially her younger sister. She talks to them every day, and her parents and sister visited earlier in the semester.

Her high school graduating class consisted of only 12 people, and not many people made the journey to United States. But moving to the U.S. was a natural choice for Monteiro since she feels so closely connected to the country. She was always in between the two countries, shuttling back and forth twice a year to visit her family.

“When I was in Brazil, I was missing something here, but when I was here, I was missing something there” Monteiro said. “I was raised in the middle.”

Published on April 30, 2017 at 8:37 pm

Contact Rachel: rcgilber@syr.edu