When I was a child, I studied at a non-governmental organization called “Criança Feliz”, which developed a educacional program with poor kids from Caucaia do Alto, a district of Cotia/SP, providing them with opportunities to study through art and music.

In this place, my story with the English language started. I could hear, for the first time, someone talking in another language, because this organization received foreign people. At that time, I was 8 years old, I did not know it was English, but, somehow, it made my eyes shine, and it was love at first sight.

During the next few years, I took a few English classes at this school with a teacher called Susi, she was from Switzerland, she was very funny, had a different accent, and I admired her for that. When I saw her, I got very happy, because I knew you were going to study that strange language: English. And, usually, when we met, I tried to say something like: “Hello, good morning, how are you?”, and I remember the smile on my face for saying those words. The classes only lasted for a short period of time, because she needed to come back to her country.

Throughout those moments, I wished I could learn much more about the language, but we did not have the internet, or anyone else to practice, but it did not stop me, I used to buy Cds to listen to the songs on my walkman, read the albums' lyrics, and, of course, sing them along. Besides, I always consulted the words in a dictionary, and tried, by myself, to understand the language.

Unfortunately, it was not enough, I needed teachers and proper materials to help me to improve my skills. And they helped me a lot, they were essential for my progress. I looked up to them so much, when I saw them using the language, I wished I could be like them someday.

And dreams come true, dear students, here I am, after many years of studies, 11 years actually, from my graduation course in Letras, at UNESP, to my PhD in Literature - and we can not stop studying, because language is like a muscle, if you stop practicing it, it gets weak, and loses its vibration and rhythm – I became an English teacher, and, day after day, I try hardly to inspire my students with my ideas. Here there is one of them:

“Believe in yourself, set your goals, work hard, do not give up! You can not imagine how amazing things you can achieve.”

Teacher Clauber

I also have great memories with my grandfather, like the time he gave me a horse and sold it without telling me. My parents worked outside the city, so I used to stay home alone. At that time, my biggest distraction was listening to music, and I developed a taste for rock.

Well, I love my life as it is, I love my friends. I don't like school very much, but it is necessary.

I had a childhood in Vitória, where I enjoyed the beach, fished with my grandfather, and almost every weekend, I visited my grandparent's beach house. Even living in the city, I had the freedom to play outside and enjoy my free time.

During the pandemic, my mother moved to Itatiaia, and I later moved to Penedo. At first, it was hard to adapt, but I made new friends and leraned a lot from the experience. Now I live in Resende and plan to study Psychology in UFRJ.

Now, about me. I have had many hobbies. When I was about 3 years old, I loved to dance, partly because I was obsessed with a children's television show with music and dances called "High Five". This show was also very important for me, as it introduced me to musicals and the English language.

When I was 5 years old, I moved to Resende, where i still live today. Here, I have many memories, both good and bad. I remember when I went to Sítio das Palmeiras, where I spent the whole day and had a lot of fun, especially on the zipline. That day, I recall playing an unconventional game of chess, the pieces werw gigantic, I could hardly move them.

However, I have aldo gone through many difficult situations. I think that worst was when I was in fourth grade, I remember being completely excluded and isolated. One of the hardest things at that time was crying alone during recess. But even though it was difficut situation, it made me more mature.

Today, I study at school where I have true loyal friends and with the same values as me. That's why, I belive all these experiences shaped who I am today and I want to keep growing, studying and building my dreams.

I'm 17 years old, I'm Christian, and I have three siblings.

Amado Gabriel is 18, Ana Clara is 15, and Abner Gabriel is 12.

We all live with our parents.

My mother's name is Lucylene. She doesn't work, but she loves crocheting — it's her favorite hobby.

My father's name is Paulo. He's retired on disability after an accident, he fell from 25 feet meters.

A little bit about me — 

I'm a very talkative person with friends and family, yes... I can be a bit annoying when I want to be!

Now, a fun fact from my childhood:

When I was younger, I was afraid of people with disabilities — like someone missing a leg, with an arm in a cast, or on crutches. I didn't know why, but everything changed when I was in preschool. A boy in a wheelchair joined my class, and he didn't speak. We started playing together at school, and every day I came home telling my mom how cute he was and how much fun we had.

Over time, I lost my fear — and it never came back.

Well, that's it!

I played mostly indoors and developed a hobby from an early age: drawing, took courses, and scribbled the coolest drawings that a child could make.

I also became a vegetarian during my childhood, and this year marks 10 years since I last ate meat. Now, I'm studying to get into medicine or psychology at several universites. I'm considering, but mainly at USP, because I want to move back to São Paulo again.

One part of good moments of my childhood was in the countryside of my mother family, with my cousins and my neighbours in Resende.

My first contact with English was through music, especially pop divas. Later, I had some English classes at school, but they didn’t help me much, because I couldn’t adapt to the teacher’s method.

After that, I started studying the language on my own, and I managed to reach a good level. What really helped me improve my English was watching TV series and listening to music. It may sound a bit cliché, but I actually learned many of the things I know now. I learned a lot through Beyoncé’s lyrics, and also from series like Law & Order and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Since then, I have also started studying other languages besides English.

However, until today, my weak point is speaking with people, because I get nervous and it feels like I block the English that I know.

When I was a kid, my favorite things to do were playing make-believe, watch cartoons and read.

I wanted to be a stylist because of a Barbie movie called "Fashion Fairytale", and spent my time drawing dresses. Later, I changed my mind and I started wanting to be a writer, and I would create horror stories with ghosts and zombies every day and tell my friends. Today, I want to be something different, perhaps a history teacher.

My life was very good and peaceful in my childhood, and I used to have lots of fun. Today, it got a little worse because of all the responsabilities that come with age, but it is still enjoyable (...at some moments).

At the moment, I'm studying "nursing", but I want to take medicine in the future, because I want to work in the health field and help people in their moments of need. I also studied English and completed 2 english courses, in my free time, I enjoy playing chess, even thought I am naturally impatient, another passion of mine is watching horror movies, I like Scream or Nightmare on Elm Street.

Since I was little, I played on the street and watched cartoons on TV. Today, I no longer have those hobbies. I only watch cartoons. When I graduate, I want to pursue a career in architecture and spend time studying at various colleges.

In my childhood I always liked to play with my cousins. Every holiday, my grandfather gathered all my cousins in his house, and we slept there until the holidays were over. I liked to climb a mountain that had near our house, and slip there from above to the ground. Unfortunately, the mountain today was taken by garbage.

My favorite subjects were mathematics and history, which over time became only mathematics. I lived much of my childhood in Angra, it was a very important place for me, because many important relatives live there, besides the trips to the beach, because we lived near one. We also had a permanent house there.

In Itatiaia, we always moved a lot, maybe we live in more than 20 houses. I always liked to play with Lego, and loved to ride robots with it. I liked to go to the cinema, and travel to Aparecida do Norte.

I also always enjoyed going to the waterfall, riding my bike, playing in the street with my friends, playing with my dolls, and going to church. I think that sums up my childhood. I wish I could be a child again!

My mother's name is Diana, and my father's name is Valdir. I have two siblings: my sister Daiana and my brother Diego. These four people are the reason I am who I am.

I didn't have a particularly ordinary childhood, since, even though I have siblings, I spent most of it as an only child. As a child, I didn't have many friends because, although it may not seem like it, I was quite shy. Furthermore, I didn't have any relatives nearby, since my family moved to Porto Real when my mother got a very good job there. We didn't know anyone; it was just us. Because of this, I learned to value my family deeply.

With no cousins ​​around and no children on my street, my dad ended up becoming my best friend. He played with me, took me to the playground, to rode my bike to the garden, and I thought that's incredible. My mom wasn't able to be as active in my childhood, because she worked so much (she's a nurse). My sister also worked and went to college, so she was rarely home, and my brother married young and left home.

On the other hand, I had my niece, who was like a younger sister to me, even though I was very jealous at the time. I always complained about living far from my cousins, wanting to be able to play with them all the time, not just at family gatherings.

But growing up a little differently made me realize that when we have family, we don't need anything else. We should cherish them. As a child, I didn't like to play with my dad all the time, but today these are the memories I cherish the most: how he took the time to get me ready for ballet, for school, for going to the park.

Even though my mother and brothers weren't able to dedicate as much time to me, they always made it clear that they were there for whatever I wanted or needed. We were always close, showing that what matters most is family.

And, of course, family isn't always just blood: we can also find it in the friends life give us.

My father was involved in a car accident in 2010 and died, but since I was very young, I don't miss him as much now. My mother, however, has always been there for me through everything.

I grew up with my grandparents teaching me everything—how to talk, how to walk, how to get to school, and many other necessary things.

I've also always been close to my godfather, who is only four years older than me, and with three other children on the street, I would stay up playing until nightfall.

When I got a little older, I moved to Porto Real, and at first, I didn't like it at all because I had no friends, didn't know how to walk throught the city, and didn't know anything. I stayed like that for almost a year. Until, when the pandemic ended, I enrolled in a school and made many incredible friends, who introduced me to various places, and that's how I began to love the city.

After finishing elementary school, I was accepted into IFRJ, the school that completely changed my life.

My perspective on the world and on people helped me find myself and realize my full value.

I met incredible people and even got a boyfriend as a bonus; it's the place where I'm the happiest.

However, not a day goes by that I don't think about my grandparents far away. I have no desire to return to Minas Gerais, but for them, I would go back without a second thought.

I had many incredible moments when I was younger. I remember the little parties at school and how I was always in touch with nature at my grandparents’ house in the Northeast. I used to feed the animals, watch my grandfather take care of his bees, and so much more. But it wasn’t only in the Northeast that I created memories. I also visited my grandmother who lives in Minas Gerais. Of all my visits, the longest was when I spent a month there, and that time was enough for many adventures.

My childhood was very good. My parents always took care of me with a lot of love and affection, and they did everything possible to make me happy. As I grew older, this became even clearer to me, and that’s when I began to admire their determination and the love they have to give me.

Rio de Janeiro is where I’ve spent most of my life. I’ve created bonds with amazing people and even found a second family that I truly cherish. I currently study at a wonderful school, with great people and friendships. I don’t regret choosing IF at all. The memories I’ve made here will definitely stay with me forever, just like the memories from when I was younger.

Well, that’s a little bit of my story.

When I was a child, I used to go play bingo with my aunts and grandma. At that time, I won eight prizes. I was also always playing with my cousins in the street. My mom worked at a daycare and had a variety of materials for me to draw and paint, starting my skills. Although people think I've been crocheting for a long time, but I basically started at the beginning of last year.

I'm kind of obsessed with the color orange, because I saw an "orange woman" on street with chocolate-colored hair, orange accessories, and beige and brown clothes. She was Black and very beautiful. From then on, for me, orange was my identity.

In my childhood, I was a shy child, but when I was around my friends, I couldn’t stop talking. My favorite pastime was inventing stories with my toys, especially dinosaurs, which fascinated me. I spent hours playing with them, as well as with other toys, like my small Hot Wheels collection. My passion was so great that my mother once gave me a giant Triceratops toy, but one day, by accident, she threw part of it away, thinking it was broken, and I cried for weeks.

Throughout my school life, I studied in Cidade Alegria. I started at Algodão Doce School, but I don’t remember much of the good moments, only some difficult ones, like the time my parents forgot to pick me up, and I was the last child to leave the school until my aunts came. After that, I went to Abrahão Hermano Ribenboim, where I stayed for two years. A memorable event there was when I was locked in the bathroom and kept screaming, hoping someone would hear me. Fortunately, my mother and the staff came to rescue me, and I was able to calm down.

Then, I went to Getúlio Vargas School, where I spent seven years of my life. At the beginning, my life was calm, but some bad things happened. It was a place where I made many friends, even though the environment was not always pleasant. When the pandemic started, I was in the sixth grade. This period was especially difficult because everyone stayed at home, and being away from people changed my life a lot. A boy who was already shy became even shyer, and many of my friendships were lost, although some were recovered over time.

In the ninth grade, my life started to return to normal. I reconnected with some old friends and also made new ones. It was during this period that I met my math teacher, who introduced me to IFRJ and encouraged me to take the entrance exam. Unfortunately, my friends didn’t take the exam, and we ended up going separate ways, each one to a different school.

Currently, I am in the second year of IFRJ High School. My life is good, although tiring, and I am happy to study at a great school and to have friends that I truly love. As for my future, I still don’t know exactly what to expect. Maybe something related to Biomedicine, but I am not completely sure. Well, think this is it!

When I was a child, I was... excuse me for the usage of heavy words, a true pain in the ass. I remember a day back in primary school when I was running around the school's cafeteria with a plate of food in hands, when I tripped on my own damn leg and fell down with my face onto the floor, the plate of food I was holding was on the ground within a matter of seconds. The first one to start laughing was my now beloved friend Ana Beatriz, who's sitting right there, just for your information. I never forgave you!

Now, I'd like to quickly talk about my history with English. Ever since I was a phone-free kid, I would spend hours on end on the family computer watching american YouTube videos and playing videogames. I'd also enter virtual chat rooms on games where I'd practice my English spelling and pronunciation. Doing those things definitely helped me write and speak in English the way I do today.

I will finish off this little presentation about myself by briefly talking about my plans for the future. Like I said before, I'd love to become an architect, the thought of designing the place where people will live and go to oftenly is amazing to me. I also plan on eventually moving to somewhere in France with Gu, I'd like to spend the rest of my days there with him by my side, as he is the reason why I'm so happy to be here living life. I also intend to keep drawing as a hobbie and maybe even starting to play the acoustic guitar, who knows? Maybe someday I'll set the lazyness aside and start taking classes. That's pretty much it about me, I'm incredibly happy thanks to the friends and family that surround me, they always help me grow as a person and appreciate the life I have on my hands, aka my life. My piece of advice to all of you here is: surround yourself with positive people, things and thoughts, they really influence the way you see the world, life is beautiful, never forget that, there may be times where you doubt that, but trust me when I say that it gets better.

That's it! Thank you! <3

I have always lived in the same city and studied in four different schools. In each of them, I experienced good and difficult moments, but all of them contributed to the fact that today I study in another city. While I write this memories, I realize how happy my childhood was: a light stage of life, full of playing and learning. More than the moments, it was the people who made everything more special, my grandparents, my parents, my cousins, each one left a unique mark and taught me lessons I still carry with me.

Among my most special memories, it is the one about my grandfather, Luiz Reinaldo, who passed away eight years ago. I remember one day when we were coming back from the supermarket together and I was carrying the bag with eggs. On the way, I dropped them all and they broke. I feared his reaction, but, instead of being upset, he was understanding. He told me not to be sad because mistakes are part of life. That moment showed me how loving and kind he was, always showing his love through actions and trust, and not with the traditional words “I love you”, just as I see in my father today.

My maternal grandmother, Araci, also left a deep mark in my life. She passed away three years ago, but the memories remain strong. I remember being at her house, and, even during meals, she would welcome people who came for help or simply to talk to. She always showed love and kindness, caring even for those she didn’t know. Today, I see much of her essence in my mother: hardworking, caring, loving, and a woman of faith.

I also keep unforgettable memories with my cousins: afternoons of movies, playing together, climbing trees, running in the street until the nightfall. Simple moments that filled my childhood with joy and affection. Looking back, I realize that I learned from wise people, not perfect, but full of virtues that I now carry with me. Each memory teaches me something, each gesture inspires me to become a better person.

That is why I can truly say that my childhood was made of simple days, many laughs, fun, family, and lessons. Today I understand that what once seemed like just ordinary days they were, in fact, the foundation of who I am and of the person I want to become.

My childhood was truly wonderful, I loved playing with my hot Wheels cars and pretending I was in a super warrior. Another passion of mine, it was the PlayStation 2, my favorite game was always racing ones, although sometimes I would try fighting games, even if I was not very good at them.

What marked me the most, it was school. In my life, the first year, especially in the middle of it, I cried a lot in the entrance line, because I would not have to study. However, with time, I began to be fascinated by learning. Many people even call me crazy, but I liked mathematics very much, and I was also interessed in subjects such as: geography and history. On the other hand, portuguese language has always been my greatest challenge, almost a trauma for me.

One of the biggest turning points in my life happened when I decided to study at the Federal Institute. This choice opened doors that completely changed my trajectory. Here I met incredible people, friends who make my days lighter and even in the face of difficulties, always find a way to turn everything into a laughter.

Another important part of my life is the Catholic Church, where I sing in the choir. This experience makes me feel deeply connected with my faith and has also helped me grow as a person, learning to value even move the simple and genuine things in life.

I think I ended up going on longer than I thought I would, which isn't really my style. For me, memories are special and always worth revisiting, even the bad ones, because they strengthen us, reveal our mistakes, and teach us to be better people. Maybe I am not good at talking about myself, but I believe I managed to express what really matters. This is me.

I was born and raised until the age of 8 in Diadema-SP, then I moved to Resende where I turned 9. Despite that, my family carries a mix of Bahia and Minas Gerais culture.

My mother is Sueli, owner of a semi-jewelry brand, and my father Sinvaldo works in the industry in Itatiaia. My grandmother Maria, even with the distance, has always been close to us. We have always been very connected, and I thank her for the faith she passed on to me from a very young age. When my mom couldn’t be present due to work, my grandmother was there, raising me in faith.

As a child, I was always very energetic, loved all kinds of playground rides, and, together with my parents, we would go on picnics whenever we could.

When I arrived in Resende, I encountered a different reality for a child, things I wouldn’t have experienced if I had stayed in São Paulo. Simple things like climbing a guava tree or playing in the street.

At school, I’ve always leaned more toward the humanities, and I developed a certain passion for science, which I still have today. As for languages, I’ve always preferred Spanish, since my relationship with English was never the best. Besides, the classes weren’t very interesting, but now I’m trying to enjoy the subject more.

I’ve always been a child who loved being with family, and mine is quite large. I’ve always felt happiest among them, and when I spend too much time without seeing them, I feel like a part of me is missing. That’s why I always go to São Paulo, or they come to my house, my uncles and cousins.

In summary, I was a very joyful and lively child, and I believe I truly enjoyed my childhood the best way I could. I am a result of all the teachings and beliefs I’ve learned, and I hope never let go of my roots.

My family members are: Elaine, she is my mother. She was an administrative assistant at SESI for 12 years, and now she works proudly as a daycare assistant at a children's daycare center near home.

Claudinei is my father. He is a freelance photographer and photojournalist (Fun fact: He also was protesting in the "Caras Pintadas" movement in the 1990s).

Davi is my brother. He is a student and I liked so much playing with him as we were children.

In my childhood, I studied in a school named JIFA, a colorful and happy educational center, where I had many friends and a lot of fun, it was the best time of my life.

Since I was a child, I always changed the career that I wanted to pursue. I already wanted to be singer, scientist, even a mechatronics engineer! And many other things. But one in particular always caught my attention, it was my desire to create, live and interpret stories.

That's me. Thank you for your time.

In general, I am a very cheerful and energetic person, and it is actually very difficult to find me sad.

I am also passionate about music. I listen to it almost 24 hours a day and I am very eclectic, listening to everything from death metal to chorinho.

One of my life goals, besides graduating professionally, is to learn as much as possible, especially in the scientific field, but also in other areas, such as music itself, etc.

I am very sociable and since childhood I have been surrounded by great friends, who, besides entertaining me, end up contributing to making me a better person.

The members of my family are: Marilene, my mother, who is a teacher and accountant; and Fernando, my father, who is a truck driver.

As a child, I became interested in the nature of human thought, which led me to read works such as The Prince, by Machiavelli, The Republic, by Plato, and The Art of War, by Sun Tzu, among others. Through these readings, I was able to understand a small part of human morality.

In this context, the more I came into contact with such works, the more my curiosity expanded.

Therefore, I became interested in various hobbies, ranging from chess, martial arts to music.

Furthermore, as I grew older, my attention turned to pop culture, where I fell in love with the Code Geass franchise, which changed my moral perception.

And, finally, my dream is to have dreams.

One very interesting thing about my childhood is that I used to have frequent dreams where I was surrounded by poor people and very fancy people being guillotined. I would wake up with a horrible feeling of being chased, and the thing is, I had no idea what the French Revolution was.

I’ve realized that I’ve always had this little passion for France. Somehow, I’ve always felt connected to it. One of my favorite games is from a French studio, and I didn’t even know that at the time. As a child, I used to sing “Je Ne Regrette Rien”, by Édith Piaf all the time, and today I’m learning French, little by little, but I am. Just by counting “Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq...” I already feel emotional.

I also have a grandmother. I didn’t forget to mention her; I just didn’t know how to fit her in. Her name is Claudia, and she’s the most badass woman I know. Not long ago, I was with her in the street while she was talking to a man she knew. I wasn’t really paying attention until I heard her saying: “You respect me! I have a last name, and it’s Mariano! I am Claudia Mariano, the one and only.” When I heard that, I felt like an extra in a movie where she was the main character, and honestly, I’m sure that’s true. My grandmother is an extremely energetic and cheerful person, but she’s also very gossipy, and I absolutely love that side of her personality.

Well, I don’t intend to say in this text what I’m going to do after I leave school, and I don’t want to go into details either, but my goal is to live in France with Guto, just the two of us. Anywhere in France, it doesn’t have to be Paris. It could be a dark and scary alley, but if I’m there with Guto, I don’t need anything else.

When I was a child, I studied at Dona Mariúcha school, and, later, at Oliveira Botelho.

I took English lessons at Says Course, but, I didn't stay long, because of my studies at school.

Today, I learn the language through games and at school, where I currently study, IFRJ. I really enjoy the classes and I made several friends who help me to learn more.