Meet Rafaela

My name is Rafaela, and I am from Brazil. I have been here for six months. My husband is studying for his PhD at the University of Arkansas. He wants to be a professor. We thought a lot about what would be best for us, and we saw coming here as a great opportunity. I was nervous to come here, but my family was really nice. They told me to go and learn new things. They told me it would give me new opportunities. I heard about Ozark Literacy Council when I was in Brazil from a Facebook group. My husband and I talked with some Brazilian people living in Arkansas, and they showed us the page on Facebook. There are a lot of Brazilian people in Fayetteville.

I didn’t know English when I came. I think I need to study more, but I am happy. I can have a conversation now. I think I have made a lot of progress. When I came, I didn’t know what to do.  I tried to talk to people, but I couldn’t. The staff had to find another student from Brazil to translate for me. Now, I can translate for other people. I know I need to improve, and I want to study more and maybe do some graduate school. I am a civil engineer, and I am interested in continuing in that area. English is very important for me now in Fayetteville, because I feel more independent. I really like it here. I like the city and the nature. I really like OLC. I feel at home here. I can chat with other people from other countries and other cultures. It’s not a big story, but it’s a big change in my life.