Yale's Brazilian Community Shows How Global Engagement Begins With Belonging

Brazilian students, scholars, and faculty gathered for the annual Yale Brazilian Meetup, a celebration led by the Yale Office of International Affairs (OIA) and co-hosted by the Council on Latin American & Iberian Studies (CLAIS) at the MacMillan Center, the Yale Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) , and the Brazil Club at Yale.

With 283 alumni and counting, the Brazil Club at Yale serves as a hub for Brazilian students, offering mentorship, networking, and cultural initiatives. The club’s flagship program, Yale Dream, helps underrepresented Brazilian students navigate the college application process. Matheus Nucci Mascarenhas ’28, co-president of the club, explained: “Last year we had ten [mentee] students, this year we have 17 mentees, and [our mentees] got acceptances to Yale, Princeton, Harvard, Stanford. It’s very rewarding to be part of the Brazil Club.”

Larissa Garcez ’28, also co-president, emphasized the importance of community. “This event today is just a summary of the Brazilian community at Yale. We are all very united as internationals. We all know each other, meet for meals every week, and support one another,” Garcez said. “I believe that it’s very important to have such a warm, welcoming community—from undergrads to grad students to professors.”

Through the support of OIA, CLAIS, and OISS, the Brazil Club not only celebrates Brazilian culture but also fosters academic and professional pathways, strengthening connections between Yale and the broader Brazilian and Latin American community.