Hanna Tischer

My family supported my decision to travel from Brazil to RIT, but many people tried to discourage me. They told me how difficult it would be moving so far away and starting a new life. It was hard not to be shaken by their comments, but I decided to listen to the voice inside of me that said “follow your dreams” instead of the voices telling me “you’re crazy.”

Being away from my family turned out to be much harder than I expected and there were many times I wondered if I should give up and go home. When my grandmother passed away and I couldn’t be with my family in Brazil I was heartbroken. Soon after I faced serious financial difficulties that I had to try to figure out on my own. I felt so far away from the people I love most in the world. All I wanted during those dark times was to feel the comfort of their hugs. 

After three years I have learned to navigate the emotions that have threatened to send me home without an RIT degree. When I am down I try to focus on my goals and tell myself that the problems I am facing are temporary. I think about the people who thought I was crazy to come here and that makes me more determined to succeed. Most of all, I refuse to sacrifice all the effort my parents made to put me through college in the United States.