Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is where foreign exchange student Laura Martins moved from, and she is currently attending Broomfield High School for her sophomore year. Her first language is Portuguese and she has been learning English for around nine years and French for four years. This trip marks the fourth time Martins has set foot in America. She has been to Wyoming, Orlando (twice), and now Colorado.

In Brazil, Martins attended a private school for all grade levels. The school year there starts in February and ends in November. One major difference in Brazil is that the private school had no lockers. Martins also mentioned that class schedules in Broomfield High School were different because in her hometown school, they would stay in the same class all day and only the teachers would change depending on what subject they were taking. While the school that she went to in Brazil did not have any sports teams or sports in general, Martins was able to take her first look at our home football game against Legacy.

When asked about how she was doing getting around the school she said, “I got lost a few times in the hallways, but I’m getting used to it now.” She then said that “the teachers here are very kind and they really care about us.”  

When asked about what extra activities she did or liked, Martins said, “I did boxing for three years, my dad does it and I decided to follow him. I really like it. I also swam since I was born.”

Martins is looking forward to the school year ahead of her. She said, “Meeting new people and the new experiences to face are all worthwhile, although it’s awkward at first, I still get butterflies in my stomach.” Welcome to Broomfield High School, Laura!