An Opportunity To Grow
10 Oct 2022
A “good vibe” while she was meditating at home in Brazil motivated Bruna De Oliveira Dolenc to seek out the Gold Coast as the ideal place to study. Having decided that Australia would match her dream international destination, it didn’t take her long to narrow that down to the Gold Coast. After waiting for the borders to open and her visa to be issued, Bruna arrived mid year and enrolled at The Language Academy in Broadbeach. She’s now enjoying the Gold Coast’s special allure, or “energy vibe” as she calls it, and when she’s not studying you’ll most likely find her at the beach.
Q: Why did you want to come to the Gold Coast to study?
It's always been my dream to live on the beach or near nature, and I found that here you can have both – the nature side and also the urban side. It's a well-developed city in the sense of maintaining a balance between nature, the beach and the commerce side and tourist activities.
Bruna enjoying the Gold Coast Student Fair
Q: What were you doing in Brazil before you came here?
I am an artist. So, in Brazil I started developing my own small business making art pieces with resin called orgonites. An orgonite is an object that you place in your house, in your bedroom, or anywhere that you would like to feel the energy flowing around you, to make you feel better and to make you feel nourished by the object. So it has to do with beauty and energy. That's another reason why I chose the Gold Coast because this energy vibe is an important part of the culture here. I feel that here on the Gold Coast we have an opportunity to grow.
Q: Did you know much about the Gold Coast before you arrived?
No. It's actually very funny, because back in Brazil I was meditating and the place just came into my heart. I didn't know anything about it. Australia came to me when I was wondering what would be an excellent option to expand what I already was doing in my country. So Australia came to me first, and then I did some brief research. I didn’t have to look for long… I could tell that it was the Gold Coast for me.
Q: Did you have a good grasp of English before you came to the Coast?
Actually, I practised reading alone. When I decided to come, I started reading books written in English. I used to read in Portuguese, but like that was for a relaxing time. I practised my speaking by reading alone out loud.
Q: Do you feel supported at The Language Academy?
Wow. It's been amazing. Because I'm not just learning English, I'm learning how to express my skills, my talents. I'm learning how a space like this can provide a safe area for you to be you. And for you to grow with others. And for you to share who you really are with others. So, yeah, I feel so much welcomed and nourished here.
Bruna at The Language Academy
Q: Are you planning on staying when you finish your course?
Yes. My course is four months, then I have a month of vacation. I'm talking now to people to know what my options are. So maybe I’ll try and get a permanent residency.
Q: What do you like most about living on the Gold Coast?
I like how you can create your day. It's like, oh, today's my day off so I'm just heading to the beach, and then I'm heading to the fireworks festival. The Gold Coast offers you so many opportunities, but it doesn't make you do all of them. You get to choose which thing you're going to do because here you can find anything.
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Plans to move away from family and friends in pursuit of further education in Australia met an unexpected change of direction for 25-year-old Ananday (Andy) Khandelwal from India. After missing an admissions deadline in Perth for a Bachelor of Nursing, Andy discovered the Gold Coast, a city that has provided him with an exceptional education and lifestyle experience with many employment and career opportunities. In 2021 the Pakistan Government launched the National Amateur Short Film Festival to find their best emerging film makers and offer them a scholarship to study abroad, enhancing their knowledge and skills to bring back new ideas and ignite Pakistan’s film industry. The NASFF received more than 1100 entries from 72 universities across the country and while the students may have entered not knowing what to expect it was certainly an opportunity to be part of something special, possibly even transformational. Laura Caballero is a qualified graphic designer from Bogota, but never had the opportunity to work as a designer because she wasn’t able to gain the essential work experience to get a job in what is a highly competitive employment market there. She ended up working in a call centre for a communications company instead. With very few prospects in Colombia Laura began to consider study options overseas and the Gold Coast was recommended as an ideal destination by a number of education agents who talked about the city’s opportunities and great lifestyle. Laura began researching the Gold Coast on the internet was impressed with what she discovered. Then when she heard about Study Gold Coast’s travel grant for international students Laura applied in the hope that she would be successful. October 28 is World Teachers’ Day so we’re taking this opportunity to celebrate and thank our teachers for the vital role they play in our communities and for the positive impact they have on the lives of students. Here’s a glimpse of some of our amazing teachers on the Gold Coast A “good vibe” while she was meditating at home in Brazil motivated Bruna to seek out the Gold Coast as the ideal place to study. Having decided that Australia would match her dream international destination, it didn’t take her long to narrow that down to the Gold Coast. After waiting for the borders to open and her visa to be issued, Bruna arrived mid year and enrolled at The Language Academy in Broadbeach. She’s now enjoying the Gold Coast’s special allure, or “energy vibe” as she calls it, and when she’s not studying you’ll most likely find her at the beach.Study News
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10/10/2022