Student News

What is your background? Why did you start studying at PCC? 

I was born and raised in Goiania, Brazil. It’s not a major urban center like Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, so I am used to people saying they never heard of it before. Usually, when I am asked, I will say I come from a city near the capital Brasilia since they are within a two-hour drive distance. I came to the United States in 2006 at the age of 22 on my own. My whole family still lives in Brazil. I was undocumented in the United States for many years, so the dream of higher education seemed far-fetched. I moved to Portland from New Jersey in November of last year and enrolled at PCC right away, so I could start pursuing my dream.

Why did you apply to be an ASPCC senator? 

When I saw the email from ASPCC announcing they were accepting applications for new senators to serve in the 2023-2024 school year, I confess that I wasn’t sure about what Student Government was about. Somehow, the idea of participating and engaging in a college experience that went beyond the classroom seemed interesting to me. I emailed my past and current teachers, asking for any information they could give me on the subject. I talked to ESOL instructor Luciana Diniz about it, and even brought it up to my ESOL tutor at the Cascade Campus. They all offered me great advice and encouragement, and after that, I became certain I wanted to live the experience of being part of something that offers the opportunity to represent other students, learn about PCC projects and plans for the future, and develop skills that will help me to grow as a student and person. I wasn’t sure if ASPCC would consider an ESOL student for the position, but to my surprise, they selected my application, and after attending a group interview, I received an invitation to be part of the 2023-2024 ASPCC Senate. 

What are your future goals? 

I want to keep working on my English and reach an academic level that will enable me to get into the PCC Nursing program. My professional goal is to become a nurse. I would like to tell ESOL students that they can count on the ASPCC to be their voice, too, in their journey to learn English and pursue their college education.