Paul Renner spent his summer fully immersing himself in the Portuguese language during his three-month stay in São Paulo, Brazil. Renner, a third-year majoring in biology and public affairs, is a recipient of a Foreign Language and Area Studies fellowship, which supported his studies at Tulane University’s “Summer in Brazil,” as well as an intensive foreign language program through CET Academic Programs.
During an average week, students took an intensive language class and one on culture and social issues. The group also toured São Paulo, visiting parks and museums, and enjoying authentic Brazilian food.
On weekends, Renner and other classmates would travel to surrounding cities. Of all the cities he visited, Paraty was his favorite. “While São Paulo is a busy concrete jungle, Paraty is a beautiful contrast filled with quiet and untouched nature," he said.
Renner’s first exposure to the Portuguese language came early in high school when he first stumbled upon Samba and Bossa nova music. When he came to Ohio State, he decided to take Portuguese to fulfill the language GE requirement. The classes not only improved his language skills, but also his appreciation of Brazilian culture, history and society. Renner has hopes of becoming a medical doctor who is also involved in the systemic improvement of U.S. healthcare. While in Brazil, he did take time to visit several Brazilian hospitals and clinics in hopes of understanding the differences between U.S. and Brazilian healthcare systems. Renner hopes to someday use his language skills in a clinical setting to better accommodate diverse patient populations or potentially work for an international organization.
Without this experience, Renner feels he would not have been able to fully utilize the tools at his disposal, nor would he have discovered the deep passion he now has for language learning. Renner said that he has never gained skills and understanding so quickly as he did during his time in Brazil. Entering an immersive environment was a transformative experience, one that he believes was crucial to his learning journey. The depth of immersion played a key role in shaping his understanding and growth.
When asked about what he misses the most about his time abroad, Renner mentioned the live music, delicious food, the nature and scenery, but the things he misses the most are his amazing friends and hosts who were such a large part of his life in São Paulo. His classmates and roommates quickly became his very close friends as they navigated this program together. Renner never fails to say, “This was life-changing and one of the highlights of my college experience.”