Advice from alumni: Carina Minami
Carina Minami from Brazil and Japan was the Student Council President at EF Academy New York and successfully completed the IB Diploma program and graduated in 2014. To continue to explore new parts of the world, she ventured across the pond where she started studying Economics at the University of Surrey in the UK. After realizing that her passion was in the field of international relations, she switched to King’s College in London where she is now majoring in International Relations. Read more about our alumna below:
How did you hear of EF Academy and why did you choose to attend?
I went to an international school in my hometown of Sao Paolo. At that time, my parents were moving from Brazil to Japan so we started looking into a boarding school. EF Academy was one of the schools that we were researching and in the end, we decided that it was the best option for me. Looking back now, I think I just felt that I needed a change and to experience new things.
EF Academy is a special place for me because I grew up there and it helped me become the person that I am today. I experienced some of my best moments there and also some of my worst. The thing about EF Academy is that it forces you to mature, it isn’t always glamorous. However, I learned many things there for example how to be alone and what real friendship is.
What university did you go to afterwards? What did you study and why?
I applied to both U.S. and UK universities after EF Academy. In the end, I chose to go to the UK because I felt that I wanted to go somewhere different and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to move around. Thus, I chose to study Economics at the University of Surrey. However, I wasn’t happy with my course there so I decided to switch after one year. I don’t regret the year there and it really helped me to realize that it was okay to make a mistake and not know what to do. This was a valuable lesson for me because in high school, I was always a perfectionist and I didn’t like making mistakes even though I now understand that is how one grows.
Now, I am studying International Relations at King’s College London and I love it. International relations are something that I always found interesting since I love traveling and understanding the world. However, I think I was too occupied with doing what I was supposed to do that I forgot what I wanted to do although international relations of course was a good option all along.
What were the differences you noticed between applying to universities in the UK and the U.S.?
In a nutshell, applying to university in the UK is so much easier because there is one system where the applications go through called UCAS! Also, you only need one essay and one reference and that’s it. In the U.S., we had so write so many supplementary essays and also take the SAT.
What is your dream going forward?
I don’t have a fixed dream but I am sure that it will involve me graduating from university. I feel that my dream is to do something that I like and I hope that it will include traveling. It could be going into consulting or diplomacy – I am open and willing to try different things now.
What tips do you have for current students who want to study what you study?
My main tip would be to be vocal about your opinions and open to discussing them. Critically thinking and articulating your ideas is very important for international relations so it is good to be opinionated. Moreover, stay updated on the world and what is going on. It is important because you will become more cultural and open-minded. Lastly, surround yourselves with great people who are equally opinionated and intelligent because you can then learn from each other if you ask the right questions.
Do you keep in touch with your EF Academy classmates?
I constantly keep in touch with some of my closest friends. We all grew up during our high school years at EF Academy and I think we all really cherish those two years. I wasn’t ready for it but I do miss it a lot. However, now everyone is spread out in the world and even though we all try our best to keep in touch it is not always easy. At the same time, I don’t think we need to see each other all the time because once we meet I think everything will feel the same.
What’s your favorite memory from EF Academy?
I really liked going to Nicaragua with the school during one of my spring breaks. There were 13 of us from EF Academy and we built houses for the local community. It was an amazing and very surreal experience. We were so used to being in a bubble with international students where everyone is privileged. It was good for us all to take a step back and appreciate what we had. Otherwise, it was all the small everyday things. For example, I really liked brunches on Sundays and sitting on the lawn in front of the school building during the spring.
What is one thing that you learned from EF Academy that you found valuable for university? For work life? For your personal life?
I think I would highlight the independence part. During my time at EF Academy, I learned how to make decisions and deal with things on my own. I also learned how to interact with people from all over the world and sometimes understanding concepts that were hard.
I also learned what real friendship is and that it is okay to not be loved by everyone. I understood the importance of surrounding yourself with people that want the best for you. Looking back, it wasn’t always easy to learn but it was an invaluable lesson.
What final tips would you give to current students?
I think one of my most important tips to current students would be that: it is okay to be not okay and sad – it is an inevitable part of the experience. It is normal to not know what to do, as it is really easy to get caught up in what you think you should do and what you have to do to go to university. I studied Economics because I thought that was what I was supposed to do instead of thinking through what I actually wanted. At the end of the day, it was time wasted for me so my advice would be to not get too caught up with what you think you are supposed to do.
Take it all in – There are a lot of assignment and exams. However, you should sometimes take time to cherish the moments and people around you.
Be happy with yourself – I felt that my self-worth was measured by my achievements e.g. grades and which university. It took some time for me to realize that I am not equivalent to what I did. Thus, take a step back and only focus on doing your best.
Who are the most successful alumni that you know of?
Aase-Kathrin from Norway – She is the type of person that will make you think as she is very complex with many layers. She is the type of person that I needed at EF Academy; she was my rock.
Felipe Mindermann from Germany
Matheus Gimenez – We studied together and I admire him because he struggled two years to find his passion and he now found it. He is starting Fashion Design next year.
Any advice to fellow alumni at universities or who are starting their careers?
Make sure to run your own race. As long as you move forward there, you are okay. I do things that I like to do but I don’t know what my passion is and I think that is alright. Just do what you want to do and don’t do things because you think you should do them. Don’t compare yourself to your colleagues, there are always going to be people that are better than you. However, your combination will always be unique and that will make you stand out. I’m sharing this advice with you, but it’s something I’m still learning myself.
Short questions:
Name: Carina Minami
Age: 19
Nationality: Brazilian and Japanese
What languages do you speak? Portuguese, Japanese, English, Spanish
EF Academy campus: New York
Graduation year: 2014
Program: IB
Residence or host family: Residence
Favorite subject: Economics because of the teacher but I also really liked English and looking back, I learned the most in that subject.
Favorite teacher:
Mr. Barnes: Economics teacher and Student Council teacher
Ms. Othman: The teacher who supported me when I broke down before the exams and told me that everything would be okay.
Favorite club / society: For me, it was the Student Council. I was the President of the Student Council during my last year and it helped me a lot to grow as a person. We were eight people running the Student Council and it was a good companionship. I never had that much responsibility before and I found it very fulfilling. For example, we founded the Leukemia Awareness Week after our Portuguese teacher was diagnosed with Leukemia. That was the first time that I decided to take action and we starting raising money. Also, I really enjoyed the varsity soccer and basketball teams – at first we were just a group of girls who didn’t know each other and we weren’t very good but we still had so much fun!
Shouts outs to:
Everyone that made my experience valuable: teachers and friends!
Teachers for being parent figures