Brazil CTI - 2007 - Global Information Technology

Taking this class and traveling to Brazil has been one of the best decisions I’ve made throughout my college career. When I first enrolled in this class it was mostly by curiosity. I’ve heard of Brazil having one of the most diverse populations in the world, a country of culture and tradition, and a major player in the oil sector.

Summary of the Brazil Experience

I could never really grasp or fully understand the nature of Brazil. I didn’t know what to picture when I thought of this country. I wandered about the cities, people, and landscape. Was it a third world country? Was it a developed country? I knew the Amazon was in Brazil which made it more interesting, but made it more confusing because I didn’t know what to expect of it. Actually traveling to Brazil helped me solve my many questions.

The first thing I noticed was the landscape. Everything was green and vibrant, making your surroundings feel as a living entity. I had wonderful experiences interacting with the citizens even with limited Portuguese. The people were very nice and always willing to help. Their culture was just as amazing, an immersive and wonderful experience. If for not the language barrier, it was extremely easy to blend in with the locals.

The food was delicious and at the same time very healthy because most of the ingredients are grown in Brazil. Every aspect of Brazil was fascinating, it is truly a country that one must experience for itself rather than read in textbooks to get the full understanding.

Name:

Alex Lopez

Current Location:

Chicago, IL

Current Field of Study:

B.S. in Computer Science and Finance

Current Area of Employment or Job Role:

Developer

Career Objectives:

Entrepreneur

What part of the framework did you study?

Networked Economy

Benefit of the trip in relation to career objective?

Broader understanding of technology outside of the U.S.

Would you ever return to Brazil to work/study/live?

I would like to work some day in Brazil