Pedro Cruz ‘25

The following post was adapted from a conversation between Pedro Cruz ‘25 and Nela Loftin ‘28, an intern with the Global Engagement Office (GEO).¹ 

For Pedro Cruz, an international FLI student from Brazil, studying abroad was always a distant dream. Between budgeting, commuting through a foreign city, and overcoming social barriers, Pedro was able to navigate these circumstances with one key takeaway: balance is key.

How would you say being a first-gen or low-income student impacted your study abroad experience?

Initially, I was concerned if I would be able to study abroad at all. A huge part of my identity at Swarthmore revolves around my work-study experience. A lot of people are able to study abroad to travel and have fun; and, of course, great for them. But I knew my experience would be different. It was hard for me to consider an entire semester without working. 

Being a FLI student, you’re never just a student at Swarthmore. You’re both a student and a worker; all the time. And both are equally important. It’s not like you can excel in your job and fail academically or vice versa. So, it’s really walking that balance beam of trying to do well on both ends that affected my experience.  

Thankfully, Swarthmore gives a stipend to support students, but it’s still hard grappling with that part of your identity while abroad. Money is always on the mind, so it’s hard not to feel guilty for buying small things like a coffee because of the financial consequences. My advice is to find balance and create yourself a financial foundation that makes sense for you so that you can feel safer.

Where did you go abroad? How did you choose it?

I went to Stockholm, Sweden in the spring of my junior year. I’m majoring in computer science with a minor in linguistics, and I knew the program was very popular within the CS department. I mainly chose the location because I knew I could get academic credit for it. Potentially going abroad and not being able to graduate was something that I could not risk, so I needed to get academic credit. In addition to my major, I was really interested in Scandinavia as a whole.

What were some highlights of your study abroad experience?

My favorite aspect of the trip was the city atmosphere. Stockholm is a very sophisticated and elegant city, so the particular experience of being a college student within such a mature environment was something special. I loved the city so much. It was really cool being surrounded by culture all the time, and being a student while in the big city was like having a constant break from the ordinary. 

Another highlight from my trip is the friendships. My program was only US students. It was nice because from day one we all had something to relate to. It’s hard, being abroad and trying to find your people, so not having that cultural barrier helped a lot. It was cool to get to know people from other schools in the US; we got really close, and I still keep in touch with some of them. The social aspect was huge for me. Getting to know people, taking classes, and discovering the city was amazing. It was all about community.

Did you encounter any challenges as a FLI student?

There was a big contrast between students who were FLI and students who were not. Different perspectives change how people handle money and how they feel towards money. For  me, I always had to consider if going out was the responsible choice whereas some students didn’t have to think twice about it. Oftentimes, I feel like I secluded myself from those interactions just because I didn’t want to feel the financial anxiety. 

So, budgeting was really important to me. Swarthmore gives a stipend, but you always have that dread concerning money. You get all the funding at once, so it’s entirely your responsibility to budget responsibly and use the resources correctly. That was really challenging at first because Sweden is a very expensive country and basically every outing means spending a good chunk of money.

Also, commuting was not challenging, per se, but it was definitely different from Swat. I lived around 30 minutes away from campus, but sometimes certain lines wouldn’t be running or I would miss a tram. It was really challenging planning out a commute that wasn’t fully predictable 100% of the time. But, the professors were very flexible and understanding.

Looking back, are there any thoughts or advice you have for FLI students going abroad?

Specifically for FLI students: save up money before you go. Save yourself the anxiety of not being able to do things and have fun. I spent my entire fall semester intentionally saving up which was really important to me. Had I not, my abroad experience would have been much different—in a bad way. I was able to travel for spring break and pretty much do anything I wanted. So, if you already know you want to go abroad, find a position on campus that pays well and start allocating some resources for this special period in your life. This might also mean working in the summer; it’s different for everyone. Also, find out if there’s any scholarships available. That’s really important, because a lot of the time, students are unaware of the resources. Even though Swarthmore offers financial support, there are other financial resources that exist. So, definitely look into your options.

1. The views and/or opinions represented in the GEO blog belong solely to the student(s) and do not represent Swarthmore College; students are not liable for any errors or omissions in the personal experiences they share. ↩︎