Ana Paula Duarte - Brazil
Santa Ana College Alumni

Talking about Santa Ana College is like talking about an old love. I moved to the United States in 1997 with my family and before we left Rio de Janeiro we had decided to live in Southern California. I found out about Santa Ana College through IBEU (Instituto Brasil-Estados Unidos), so we decided to move to Orange County.

SAC was the perfect transition before entering a four-year university. Classes were smaller and there was easier access to professors, which makes the college curriculum more attractive for an international student. I studied a bit of everything, since the American educational system is very different from the Brazilian one. I took social science, mathematics and biology classes. I worked in a molecular biology laboratory for two summers through a scientific research program between SAC and UC Irvine (Bridges Program for Medical Research). I also worked on campus during the school year, assisting professors of biology and mathematics and in the pool as a lifeguard.

I made good friends in the International Student Center, since it was easier to relate to people that were in a similar situation as mine. Besides, I am enchanted by diversity. With classes, my jobs and all the social events sponsored by the International Student Association, I spent many hours on campus and there I felt at home. During my final semesters, I participated in the swimming and water polo teams. When the time to transfer to a university arose, I was ready to survive in an even more competitive academic environment, thanks to the experience I gained at SAC. But I experienced culture shock when I transferred to UCLA; I missed the familiarity of the college. But, I found my place there and I have recently graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies, after spending a wonderful semester abroad studying in Santiago de Chile.