This upcoming summer brings a new journey for soon-to-be sophomore Eleanor Estrada. Estrada signed up for the Academy of Global Studies with the hopes of expanding her worldview, but now, with the help of the program of AFS (American Field Service) she plans to go even further in exploring the world; Estrada will spend the 2015-16 school year studying abroad in Brazil.

“I have always wanted to travel, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity,” Estrada said. “Brazil is a very different country than the United States, so I’m expecting some major culture shock, but I guess it’s all part of the learning experience.”

The program offers exchange programs in many different countries, as well as options to study abroad during the school year or over the summer. Eleanor selected Brazil (and the school year option) after being offered a sizable scholarship to go to Brazil by BP; a requirement of the scholarship is taking STEM-focused classes and keeping an updated blog on her experience abroad.  Besides paying for room and board, the program will also give her a monthly allowance of $120 of spending money which she can spend on eating out, buying new things and using for transportation.

“I really want to get involved in as much as possible, in order to fully immerse myself in the new environment,” Estrada said. “I may be in a placed in a city with millions of people or a small town with a few hundred – whatever the situation, I’m hoping to make the best of it.”

While she does not yet know all the details of her trip– she is still unsure which city she’ll be in and has not yet been matched to a host family–she is making sure to prepare as much as possible. Estrada has read up on the culture of South America and is working on mastering a small amount of Portuguese.

“I’ve been doing a lot of research on the culture and customs of Brazil,” Estrada said. “I’ve also bought a pocket English – Portuguese dictionary; I know how to count to ten now, so I’d say I’m pretty much a pro.”

In order to not fall behind on high school credit, Estrada will be taking classes not offered at Brazilian public school–such as English and World History– over the summer. Despite the challenges, she is determined to stay on top of her academics.

“A lot of it is just mental will to do it. I know it’s going to be difficult when I come home, transitioning back into the school system, but if I stay focused it’ll be completely attainable,” Estrada said.

One reason she was able to embrace this opportunity was support from her family; her mother spent a year abroad in Costa Rica and her family has hosted exchange students in the past.

Her goals for the trip lie mostly with becoming more involved in the world as well as bettering herself as a person, and she hopes to be able to encourage others.

“As cheesy as it sounds, I really hope that I’ll grow as a person. I think that it’s so important to be globally aware and I think that this year is really going to open my eyes to the world around me,” Estrada said. “I’m hoping that when I come home I’ll be able to share my experiences with others and maybe even inspire them to step out of their comfort zone and experience another culture, whether it’s for a weekend or an entire year.”