Yasmin Felippe da Silva Pinto | MU Faculty of Social Studies

Name: Yasmin Felippe da Silva Pinto

Studies: International Relations and European Politics

Level of study: Bachelor’s

Country: Brazil

What experiences make you a great ambassador?

I remember boarding a plane to leave my home country, the place where I was born and raised, in which I knew the language and the culture, to come live in a country half away across the world, by myself. It is terrifying, and it takes a lot of courage. More than that, it takes a support system. I’m here to be exactly that, to show you that you can find your people and that college is though, but so are you, and that you have nothing to fear. There will be doubts and there will be uncertainty, as it is with all new students, but as an ambassador, I will be here to answer all of your questions the best way I can and, even if Idon’t have all the answers, we will find it together.

What advice would you give to new students?

There is a quote that I keep as my phone’s wallpaper since I got here that says: “If you were not meant to be there, wouldn’t be here. So, what’s the best that can happen?” and that’s my advice. Missing home may be a constant feeling, and sometimes you can doubt if you are where you should be and doing the right thing, but, as the quote says, you wouldn’t be here if you were not meant to. And because of that, do not be afraid. Go to all the events during your orientation week, sit next to strangers and ask them what they are studying, where they are from. You can surprise yourself with the quantity of international students that are going through the same thing as you, because you are not alone. Always keep that in mind!

What do you love most about Brno?

Brno is simply the best of both worlds: not as crowded and loud as a capital, but not tedious and calm as a small city. There are always different parties and events to go to, related to the university or not. Parties in different clubs, with different themes, sometimes even in a boat, or with just Latin songs. It offers a lot of different places to go, with cafés and bars in each corner, the bars full of life and laughter by the evening. There are cinemas, a theater, museums, a bunch of libraries to study and beautiful architecture. Brno also has the best public transport I have seen in my life coming from a third-world country where delays are the norm. The trams and buses are always on time, and you can easily reach the center and the university within minutes. The fact that you can buy your ticket online and it lasts for months is also a plus.