In Ballroom B on Oct. 25, The Mary V. Jordan Multicultural Center hosted the twentieth annual Diversity Scholars Banquet for students with diverse ethnic backgrounds who maintain a 3.8 GPA or higher.
At the banquet, it was announced that these students will now be recognized at graduation for this accomplishment.
The keynote speaker at the banquet, Brunella Martinelli de Medeiros Fiuza, spoke to those in attendance about her own story and resilience. She grew up on a small island off the mainland of Brazil and worked as a pharmacist there until her husband was accepted into the PhD program at Purdue and they had to leave everything behind.
She said, “Moving to the United States was a great challenge, not only because we were distant from our loved ones, but because of all the challenges we would have to face.”
While her husband studied at Purdue, Brunella stayed at home with their young son, deciding to learn English through the shows on television he watched, taking him to playdates in the neighborhood and joining a book club. While learning English, she also decided to learn Spanish and teach her son the language as well, so that they could communicate with their Spanish speaking friends in their native language.
She vowed to help others, and while learning Spanish, a professor at Purdue encouraged her to pursue a Master degree in Spanish American Literature.
Brunella stated, “Many people thought I was not in my right mind to start a Master degree in something I had never studied, but I was up for the challenge. If I had given up, I wouldn’t be here speaking today.”
After earning her degree, in the first semester of her PhD, her second child was born. Her husband graduated and moved to Johnson City to begin teaching at ETSU. She stayed behind, but at the end of 2017 she finished her classes and joined her husband with their children. She wrote her thesis on the struggles Latina women face every day, encouraging them all to keep moving forward.
She also encouraged the students recognized at the banquet, and those in attendance, to remain resilient no matter what struggles you face.
