Georgetown College. Georgetown University.

Luiz Felipe das Neves, a senior at Georgetown, is originally from Brazil. (Photo: courtesy Luiz Felipe das Neves)

Luiz Felipe das Neves is completing his senior year at Georgetown with a double major in Portuguese and Political Economy. In his free time, he plays intramural soccer for the university. Having been born in Brazil but growing up in New York City, Luiz has taken three Brazilian culture classes, including one tutorial, with Professor Vieira in order to explore his roots.

Q. How did you become interested in Brazilian culture?
A. I am originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and I’ve always been concerned about holding onto my cultural heritage. I moved to New York at the age of seven and though I typically go back to visit my extended family at least once a year, I felt that I wanted to learn more about the country through the very different lens of an academic setting. Georgetown’s Brazilian/Portuguese program provided the perfect opportunity to do this. You could say I followed the normal student trajectory in reverse, starting with experience abroad and then entering the classroom.

Q. What aspects of Professor Vieira's classes have been particularly interesting to you?
A. She has a vast background in philosophy, which she draws on in virtually every class. While normally I’m not a big fan of philosophy, Professor Vieira’s ability to convey the essence of an idea or concept and apply it to the course material at hand enriches the classroom experience.

Q. Tell us about a favorite project or paper you have undertaken for one of Professor Vieira's classes.
A. Recently I completed a paper on Machado de Assis’ Dom Casmurro. An essential Brazilian novel, it has inspired countless essays and numerous interpretations. With Professor Vieira’s guidance, I was able to sift through some of the literature and find supporting evidence for a unique commentary.

Q. What makes Professor Vieira stand out as an instructor?
A. Beyond her classroom professionalism, Professor Vieira is extremely approachable and encouraging. She takes a real interest in her students and wishes to see them realize their ambitions. A perfect example was her willingness to conduct an independent study with me, providing a survey of important Brazilian fiction authors that I very much wanted to take but which the department was not offering at the time.

Q. What are your plans after you graduate from Georgetown University?
A. I will be working in Sales and Trading at Barclays Capital in New York. I’m excited, as well as extremely grateful, for the opportunity, considering the current financial climate.

Print Article