Tufts Blogs

One of the most exciting aspects about taking a bridge year is meeting people. Although my placement was in Brasil, I met people from all over the world including Morocco, India, Argentina, Mexico, and even Tennessee. This was something very unexpected for me, coming from a very small town in Tennessee; it was a culture shock. I made an effort to speak to strangers because it is only after they shared their stories that I began to see different sides of Brasil and of its people. 

These conversations differed in length, usually depending on how long the bus took to arrive to its destination or how long the line was. Of course, I also shared my story. People were always very curious as to why I decided to take a bridge year. In the beginning, I always answered that it was because I wanted to volunteer, learn a new language, and meet new people before I start college. Although this is still true, the focus has shifted a little. In those first moments of my bridge year, I was very focused on how I could influence and initiate change in my community. Now, seven months later, I am realizing that this bridge year is as much for me as it is for Brasil.

Living in a completely different place, eating different foods, communicating in a different language, changing basically everything about your life, changes you. I learned to adapt, and my worldview expanded. I learned a lot—not only how to make brigadeiros or that coxinhas are really good, I learned so much about myself as a person. As I am nearing the end of my time in Brasil and I reflect on my experience, I see so much growth within myself that I know will prove useful in college.

These lessons encourage characteristics that allow students to be more prepared for the struggle that college life can be. To see a university that has realized this and has created a platform where that can flourish is astonishing. That is why Tufts is different.

Learn more about the Tufts 1+4 Bridge-Year Service Learning Year here.