If you look into the stands of the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center during a Kent State women's basketball game, you’ll find a mother-daughter duo from Brazil cheering with all their might.
Hetty Alves de Andrade is not your typical college student, nor is she the typical non-traditional student.
A loving wife and mother of three, Hetty has a long career in the computer science field. She speaks intermediate English, works full-time in the United States and is pursuing a degree in English as a Second Language through the College of Arts and Sciences at Kent State.
One of Hetty’s children is Fernanda Alves de Andrade Reis, a senior Computer Information Systems in the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship. Fernanda arrived at Kent State in 2023, drawn to the university’s expansive international student community.
Wanting to spend more time with her daughter during her senior year, Hetty joined Fernanda at Kent State in 2024.
“The main reason that I came to Kent State is so I would feel more at home knowing there were more immigrants and more people from all over the world,” Fernanda told Kent State Today.
Prior to moving to Northeast Ohio, Hetty and Fernanda lived in Brazil, where Fernanda attended the American Academy, a partnership program between Kent State and . This allowed her to complete her first two years of education at the Curitiba campus before transitioning to Kent State.
Now, 5,000 miles from home, Hetty and Fernanda have found new activities and friends in the United States.
In Aurora, just a few miles north of Kent, Hetty has befriended a South Korean woman who is also studying English as a Second Language, while Fernanda has found her own clique.
Hetty and Fernanda have embraced their environment, often taking part in many of the local pastimes.
“We like ice skating, going to women's basketball games and watching movies. It’s what we do for fun,” Fernanda said.
As Fernanda looks forward to her summer graduation, the journey hasn’t been without culture shock as many Brazilian traditions are unfamiliar to Americans.
“In Brazil, you’re always hugging people, always kissing people, so you feel much closer to people,” Fernanda said.
For Hetty, she is used to physical contact as well. When meeting new people, she often stops herself, wondering if they're not okay with touch, especial if they’re American, Hetty told Fernanda, laughing, who translated.
Though these cultural differences stand out, Hetty and Fernanda do their best to keep their heritage alive in a foreign place.
To share Brazilian culture with the Kent State community, Fernanda took part in the Office of Global Education's annual International Cook-Off, competing against teams of other international students, while providing tasty dishes to attendees of the event.
Whether it’s wearing Havaianas, a popular Brazilian flip-flop brand, cooking Brazilian-style rice, heavily seasoned and flavorful, or making brigadeiro, a sweet chocolatey treat, these small traditions help them stay connected to home.
After graduation, Hetty will return to Brazil to reunite with her family, while Fernanda remains open to exploring opportunities in the United States.