Nicole Gut Ferreira first came to Yonsei in 2015 as an undergraduate student after being accepted to the Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP) of the National Institute for International Education (NIIED). KGSP promotes international cooperation in education by inviting excelling international students to Korea to conduct advanced studies at higher educational institutions in Korea.

A political science and international studies major, Nicole is currently in her junior year at Yonsei and pursues interests in international studies and fencing. Before coming to Korea as a KGSP student, Nicole had attended the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria in Brazil for three years, majoring in international relations. Her major sparked her interest in East Asia and she wanted to continue her studies in a country with high quality education and a safe living environment, finally deciding on South Korea and Yonsei after much contemplation.

Nicole is satisfied with her decision on both academic and personal levels. Her courses are both challenging and eye-opening. One of the most memorable courses she had taken was “Modern Society and Public Administration” in 2016; she was able to understand contemporary society in Korea and the global community on a deeper level as well as refine her critical thinking skills. She has excelled in her studies and recently won the prestigious NIIED Outstanding Academic Award last year. On a personal level, one of Nicole’s best experiences at Yonsei is the Fencing Club. She was able to make and maintain close ties with Korean student members and feels like they are “one big family” together. Although it was Nicole’s first time fencing, she was very proactive to learn and compete in competitions and is currently one of the captains of the club. She greatly enjoys the “sense of community” and “Yonsei Pride” that is prevalent among students and on campus.

The various experiences at Yonsei is opening new options and career paths for Nicole. Before coming to Yonsei, she had initially planned to return to Brazil after graduation and purse her dream to become a diplomat. However, after spending two years at Yonsei, Nicole is considering to continue her studies at the graduate level; she is inspired by her professors at Yonsei and is exploring the possibility of becoming a professor. She looks forward to making the most of the remaining period of her stay at Yonsei and Korea searching for more dreams and aspirations.