The Girl Who Dreamed of the UK, and the Woman Who Made It Happen

Deciding to come to the United Kingdom to study was not something that began as a perfectly structured plan. It started with the dream of a 12-year-old girl who had always wanted to live in England, an instinct that kept calling me to fulfil that dream, challenge myself, go beyond what I already knew, and experience something completely uncertain but incredibly rewarding.

The more I explored the possibility, the more sense it made, both in my mind and in my heart. The United Kingdom offered me everything I had imagined and much more. It gave me the opportunity to study in an international environment recognised for its high academic standards, which motivated me even further. At the same time, I would be immersed in a multicultural environment, something that can be challenging but is also incredibly enriching because it broadens your perspective and encourages you to think differently. I have loved discovering new cultures, food and languages, especially while living in London, which, within my industry, is one of the most important financial centres in the world.

Another motivation was improving my English. I have always loved languages, but I have a particular ambition to speak English like a native. It is certainly challenging, but moving to a country where a different language is spoken pushes you to develop skills that might otherwise take much longer to acquire.

As an Accounting and Finance student with the ambition of building an international professional career, I was also very attracted by the possibility of learning not only inside the classroom but through exposure to global companies and institutions. For example, I had the opportunity to visit the IASB offices and observe the discussions involved in developing and approving new financial reporting standards.

Last but certainly not least, coming here meant fulfilling a dream that had lived in my heart for years. It has been challenging, but that was exactly what I wanted: to step outside my comfort zone and become a more independent woman.

Academic life was definitely a challenge at first. Being accustomed to a different educational system made my first semester particularly demanding, but it was also incredibly enriching. I discovered another passion of mine: research and critical analysis. I am eternally grateful to my professors, who have guided and supported me throughout this process, and especially to my dissertation supervisor. At the beginning, I had so many ideas but did not know which one to pursue—something very characteristic of me! So, my advice is not to be afraid of undertaking a research project.

As long as we continue thinking and questioning, there will always be something new to create, explore or investigate more deeply, and that is part of the beauty of learning.

The United Kingdom has taught me so much and continues to teach me every day. Academically, I have learned to become a more independent learner. Instead of simply memorising concepts to pass an exam, I have learned to investigate topics more deeply, question ideas, support my opinions with evidence, develop my own projects, and use tools that are applied in a professional environment.

Another important lesson has come from living and studying alongside people from many different backgrounds and perspectives. It has challenged me to become more open-minded and tolerant of different points of view. From my perspective, this is something wonderful: being able to disagree, explore different opinions and understand where someone's ideas come from when their culture and experiences may be completely different from your own.

On a personal level, this has been an incredibly enriching experience, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity to live it. I have had to adapt to the systems of a new country, learn to manage my own resources, solve the difficulties that appear along the way, and accept that many things will not work in the way I was accustomed to. But that is also one of the most beautiful parts of growth.

I learned that being independent does not mean knowing how to solve everything; it means trusting that I will find a way to solve it. Through this experience, I have also developed a beautiful and deeply rewarding relationship with God and learned what it means to trust completely.

Of course, living in another country is not always beautiful. I have also experienced days when uncertainty, homesickness and frustration became part of the journey. This brings me to something I wish I had known before arriving: I did not need to have everything figured out from the very first day.

Adapting to a new country takes time. As the saying goes, Rome was not built in a day, and I think the same applies to life. There are incredibly exciting moments, but there are also days when you miss everything familiar: your family, your home, or simply your mum's hug telling you that everything is going to be okay. There are moments when you become frustrated or even doubt yourself.

Over time, I understood that these moments are also part of the experience and part of growing. You can learn so much from them, and for that reason, I believe we can also be grateful for having the opportunity to experience them.

One of my greatest lessons has been understanding that studying in another country does not only transform your academic education. It also transforms the way you see yourself. I have learned to trust my decisions and my instincts more, to navigate unfamiliar environments, to connect with people from different cultures, and to discover abilities within myself that I might never have known existed if I had remained within what was familiar and comfortable.

At the end of the day, I am deeply grateful for this opportunity: for the guidance I received from Across the Pond from the very beginning; for my family, who have always been one of the strongest pillars of support in my life; for myself, for having the courage to take on this challenge and discover a more complete version of Nehie; for fulfilling the dream of that little girl; for life; and for God, because I know He is always by my side and I trust Him completely.

This is only the beginning of the journey, and I am incredibly excited to discover what the future holds. I hope my experience can help someone else who is considering taking the same step, because I believe we are here to support one another and contribute to a more empathetic, compassionate and safe society.

Trust yourself, because dreams really do come true. Nothing is too crazy or impossible to happen. If you can imagine it, you can believe in it, and if you believe in it, you can create it. And when you finally have it, simply be grateful and keep building.

- Nehie