Maria Luisa Pickler Albano

Hello, reader! If this is your first encounter with me, let me briefly present myself. As you saw in the cover of this piece, my name is Maria Luisa, but you can call me Malu. I was born in São Paulo, Brazil, but I am currently living in Athens, Georgia, where I am working towards earning a degree in Business Management and Finance at the University of Georgia. By now you should be asking yourself what has brought me all the way here. Well, my desire to come study in the US has been with me since I was in 6th grade. Around that year, I moved to an international school in my new town, Florianópolis, a small island in the south of Brazil. Half of my classmates were from different places around the world, such as Greece, Russia, and Spain. Sharing my days with them sparked the interest of leaving the country and seeking opportunities abroad.

That curiosity for understanding other cultures naturally drew me to study philosophy and all things politics. While I was in high school, I was a member of an online news portal for teenagers. I had an opinion column where I would write about the latest on tech, politics, and entrepreneurship. This experience not only improved my writing skills but also taught me how to articulate my thoughts and defend my opinions in a public space. That opportunity is probably also the reason why I promptly selected some of the themes you are about to see in the pages ahead.

Some references you may find while reading the pieces ahead are inspired by a series of conversations I have had with my family, sisters, and boyfriend. On weekends, we love being around the kitchen counter top, sharing ideas, and most importantly, reaching conclusions together, growing together.