Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship

In no more than 500 words, provide a statement of purpose that describes how language proficiency and

area studies expertise will enhance your educational and/or career goals. In describing your goals, please

discuss your short-term and long-term goals. Please upload your typed Statement of Purpose.

I was raised in a household with an American father and Brazilian mother. My dad

worked two jobs while my mom took care of my sister and me. My childhood was waking up to

my mom blasting Bossa Nova while cleaning the house, learning how to make my favorite

Brazilian dishes, and hearing stories about my mother’s childhood in Brazil. I was introduced to

Brazilian culture and Portuguese at a very young age. In addition to learning Portuguese when I

was younger, I also participated in a dual immersion program during elementary school and

became fluent in Spanish by the age of twelve.

This exposure to multiple languages and cultures throughout my life has led me to have

an understanding of how valuable the gift of being articulate in multiple languages can be to my

personal, academic, and professional goals. My goal is to minor in Portuguese, as it would

greatly benefit me to become more proficient and knowledgeable in the language. As I have

gotten older, I have forgotten nearly all the Portuguese I knew––and although I do understand it

all and speak some, I am determined to become fluent. My mother’s pride for Brazil has become

mine as well, and a minor in Portuguese would help me become more educated on the history,

traditions, and customs that are such a big part of my heritage. If I can learn them, I’ll be able to

keep them alive and pass them down to future generations. I consider my cultural heritage to be

one of the most significant parts of my identity, and I want to take every opportunity I can to
immerse myself within the culture more than I have in the past. Studying Portuguese and the

history of Brazil in college will not only give me the opportunity to further understand and

appreciate who I am and where I come from, but it will also help me become fluent in the

language I’ve been surrounded by my entire life.

It will benefit me in my future career choice, since my goal is to major in Economics or

Finance along with my minor in Portuguese. Being a woman of color in the business world will

be challenging, but knowing Portuguese and Spanish will give me an advantage and will help me

work in economic and finance sectors in Latin American countries, and hopefully move to Brazil

one day to do so. Portuguese is the sixth most widely spoken language in the world, yet is not

commonly spoken in the U.S., but I know that this language will be an important asset as I enter

my career. I hope to be able to greater appreciate and connect with my family and the culture that

I’ve been raised in. I firmly believe that receiving the FLAS fellowship and being given the

opportunity to study these things will improve my quality of life on a personal level, and will

pave paths for me in the future as I begin my career.