The extra lectures and classes that were offered on a variety of topics, such as Afro-Brazilian religion, History, Capoeira, etc., were very enriching.

I really enjoyed the organized trips to different areas around Bahia, and I learned a lot from the lectures on different relevant topics. The coursework was rewarding as well, as was living with a host family.

I found the cultural class led by Dr. Orlando Kelm of the University of Texas-Austin to be extremely awarding. We learned several models to analyze culture and then utilized these models to analyze cultural differences between the United States and Brazil through the creation of blog and photo projects. This class greatly helped me to view and analyze Brazil, Salvador, and Bahia to a greater depth than I had thought possible.

All of the guest speakers and their presentations, they all gave a great overall in site about brazil, the history of brazil, and also the current crisis that Brazil is currently in at the moment.