Come to FLS to Try the American Culture

My name is Arthur César Silveira Freitas and I am from a small city in Brazil called Itaúna in the state of Minas Gerais. I am 19 years old. I have studied at FLS for 3 weeks in 2014, it was during the last world cup, witch happened here, in Brazil. In fact, I remember the day I took the airplane to LA... Brazil was playing against Chile, I guess, and, when it was over, the captain told us the match result. Brazil won. It is a nice memory I have, I remember everyone happy and celebrating it in the airplane.

'It was only when I realized It would be inevitable and that it was ok" 

When I was in FLS, I had only one teacher, her name was Lisa. She was great, Always trying to teach us in a different way, with games and movies, witch, I must confess, were not always interesting. Actually, once we watched The Alfred Hitchcock’s The Monkey’s paw, and by we, I mean my classmates, because I slept during the hole movie. I am not proud of it, but anyways it happened.

I have first come to FLS to try the American culture and practice some of my english. My mayor problem then was most likely the shame, I mean, the shame to speak up, because I did not really want to make any mistakes or to say anything that could be, in a way, wrong or inappropriate. It was only when I realized It would be inevitable and that it was ok - I have never been to another country until then, so I had nothing to be sorry for if I made some mistake - that I could really enjoy my staying in Citrus College.

There was this group of students that I was part of. We have not ever met before and we were supposed to go together to all the places we would visit. Three Brazilians (two besides me), one Spanish boy and a guy from Vietnam. As you imagined, I got closer to the Brazilians, although my relationship with the Vietnamese was also really good. The other guy was older than us and he had different interests, and that is probably why we did not get really close to each other. However, since I have got back to Brazil, we have never talked again.

So, since I have left FLS, much happened. I have graduated on high school and started college. I am currently on medical school. I study on a federal institution, UFVJM, and I am almost in the middle of the course... I will probably graduate in 2021. It makes me very proud of me, because here in Brazil, the public universities are considered much more difficult to get in than the private ones. I live alone in an apartment in a small city called Diamantina, which was one of the firsts cities in Brazil, so it has a really cultural and historical meaning. I will send you a picture from downtown Diamantina. I could say that, by now, everything is going just fine in my life.

By Arthur César Silveira Freitas, FLS Student. 

Helping Students Reach Their Potential

Meet another of our alumni!  Chi Tran is 23 years old and she came to us from Hai Phong Vietnam. It is quite extraordinary to hear her story as she tells us she was at FLS for five months in 2013. At the beginning,  it was a requirement she had to meet to attend college in US. Rest we will just let you read what she wrote to us when we asked what happened after FLS

FLS Student Chi Tran

"I attended De Anza Community College (the best community college IMO) for 3 years. I got elected to the student government for 2 years. I became the Chair of Environmental Sustainability. I was vice president of Marketing Club. I was chosen for Public Policy School at my college along with 8 other students, got trained in political lobbying by two amazing political science professors, and went on a trip to Washington DC, meet up with Senators, congressmen and different non-profit organizations (that was an impressive school trip). I also did an internship for Assembly member Evan Low in District 27.

"My proudest moment is when I prompt spoke in front of 200 hundred representatives from more than 30 Californian community colleges"

I did a campaign to stop the VTA bus fare hike for college students in my area. I was accepted to 4 different universities including UCB, UCSB, SJSU, and University of Oregon. However due to my personal reason, I couldn't continue my education. I am currently working in Canada for Easy Education."

This is amazing as from our perspective she is a true young leader that is following her passion and is literally an example to follow. We also wanted to know what is she proud of, here is what she said.

"…My proudest moment is when I prompt spoke in front of 200 hundred representatives from more than 30 Californian community colleges at SSCCC (Student Senate for California Community Colleges) General Assembly."

This is amazing as speaking in front of so many people can be stressful even for native speakers, and we have to remember that English is not her first language.  Just as a cherry on top of an ice cream sundae, Chi said one of her close friends is also from FLS.  He experience and friendships will last her lifetime!

We are so proud to be part of lives of young people that enter our school and continue in the world with their hopes dreams and culture awareness. By helping students reach their potential, FLS makes the world a better place.
~ Dominika Staniewicz, Assistant Director at FLS Citrus College 

FLS Students Make Great Plans for the Future

We reached out to some of our students to see how has FLS changed or influenced their life. This time we would like you to meet Simon age 21. An amazing young man, that was born is the south of France but raised in Vietnam.

He studied with FLS Citrus in 2015. He says he associates only good memories with FLS especially our Activity Guides have warm place in his heart as they made the experience even more exciting.

His initial reason to come to FLS was to just improve English. As it turned out he got much more when I asked him, What was the most difficult part about being at FLS?

 Simon and Haruna

He said: “leaving my friends, I cried for two weeks. So sad”.

It looks like those months spent at our school resulted in some great friendships. The friendships became long lasting. Simon with excitement spoke about how he still keeps in touch with some of his FLS friends and with few he has even met in person.

When you get exposed to international cultures I guess hunger for more awakes. Since he left FLS he spend over two years in Tokyo Japan where he pursued his dream to learn Japanese and…

What is interesting is that the friend he went to visit was a person he met at FLS Citrus. They fell in love and decided to move in together. 

Simon says: “ … we have great plans for the future”.

Simon and his other half have decided to move to Switzerland where Simon has been accepted at a prestigious Geneva University and will major in International relations.  Another amazing thing about Simon is his desire to help others. Since he left FLS at the end of summer of 2015 he has also volunteered in China and Vietnam for over eight months.

One last thing that he mentioned when we spoke with him, was his host family had an enormous influence on him in a positive way. He admits thaw that he has never told them that. We hope that they will read this article so they can learn how they have changed a life.

When I reach out to our students it is just an amazing experience. It is an honor to be a part of life of students that then go on and with our small influence go on and change the world for the better.

~ Dominika Staniewicz, Assistant Director at FLS Citrus College