Brazilian Background
2025
A Family Trip to Brazil
Here I’m playing beach frisbee with my dad on the island of Florianopolis where my mother grew up before she came to the United States after she finished college in Brazil. It was on this trip that I was able to visit my Mother’s childhood home, and I’m grateful to get to know the warm, hospitable people of Florianopolis. Having the opportunity to eat the delicious local food and swim in the warm water has helped me connect with my roots and my Brazilian identity.
Waterfall
Here I am at age 11 exploring a beautiful waterfall near my mother’s family home. Walking on the rocks, I enjoyed jumping in the water and swimming. From a young age, I’ve enjoyed immersing myself in nature. My profound appreciation for nature has inspired my desire to give back and find ways to conserve precious natural resources.
Family Dinners
My family and I share dinners together, and this is one way we bond as a family. Here we are with my Vo Stella, which is the name I call my Grandma. We’re here in Florianopolis eating moqueca, which is a traditional seafood stew prepared seasonally inside a pumpkin. My Grandma taught my sister and I how to make origami birds, the kind where you pull their tails and their wings flap. Spending time with her when I was growing up allowed me to build a relationship with her, and I’ll have those memories forever.
2025
Wingfoiling in Brazil
One of my favorite activities to do in Brazil is go wingfoiling, which is a sport that applies sailing techniques to riding a foil board above the water. It’s a challenging sport that requires a lot of coordination and upper body strength, but it’s really exciting because my top speeds are around 20mph and you have a lot of control over the direction of the board. There’s a lot of balance involved, and it helps me practice mental and physical discipline.
7/23
More Wingfoil
In this photo, I continued to improve on my wing foiling skills in Florianopolis, Brazil, where my family lives. After renting some gear, my dad and I spent a few hours on this lovely lagoon with a local, wing foiling and enjoying the sun.
Kite Surfing
Having wing-foiled quite a lot, in this photo, I decided I wanted to learn how to kitesurf as well. Despite the teacher telling me I wouldn’t be able to stand up and really kitesurf and that the learning process of kitesurfing takes multiple days, I stood up within the first hour of my first lesson and proved the teacher wrong. My whole life, I’ve had people tell me that something is too difficult, too challenging. In some ways, people have always underestimated my abilities or tried to discourage me from learning new things throughout my life, however, I always persevere and achieve my goals despite the negative feedback I sometimes receive.