Felipe Checa knows hard work.

The 24-year-old Brazilian man worked hard to get to the U.S., where he worked hard to learn English at Riverland Community College. He worked hard to get to the University of Minnesota, where he worked hard to get a degree in marketing and sports management.

The recent college grad now hopes to work hard in Brazil for Nike, though he wants to stay and work in the U.S.

Felipe has been in the U.S. for some time. He went to a boarding school in Florida for middle school before living with family friends in Owatonna.

“I wasn’t learning English (in Florida),” Checa said. “My parents have these friends they know in Owatonna, and they thought it would be a good idea.”

Though Checa took English classes since he was in first grade, he wasn’t comfortable with speaking the language. He didn’t have many opportunities to do so until he came to Riverland in Austin in 2006.

Checa wanted to go to a smaller school to acclimate himself to the American university system. He liked the sense of community Riverland offered.

“I wasn’t ready for a big college,” Checa said.

He was still shy when it came to English, however. He credits International Student Advisers Miguel Garate and Melodee Morem, along with instructor Sue Grove, for helping him come out of his shell.

“I was afraid of speaking,” Checa said.

Garate agrees, remembering when Checa first came to Riverland.

“He was so shy,” Garate said. “But look at him now.”

Checa found plenty in common with the growing international student population at Riverland. After meeting friends from places like Uzbekistan, Russia, Japan, Kazakhstan, and elsewhere, he didn’t feel so alone.

“They were facing the same situation,” he said. “I felt I wasn’t alone.”

His time spent in Riverland helped Checa gain the confidence he needed to grow as an English speaker.

“Once I got confident, it wasn’t a problem any more,” he said. “I still struggle with the language, but … practice makes perfect.”

For such a worldly student, Checa really enjoys community. He chose to go to the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities instead of Ohio State University because he wanted to remain close to the friends he made in Austin.

“I was basically down here every weekend or at least once a month with my friends,” Checa said.

Armed with a degree in marketing and sports management, Checa wants to work in sports.

“I’m a soccer fanatic,” he said. “I’m not a good soccer play but I’d like to work on the administration side of the sport.”

He would love to stay in the U.S., but his student visa is expiring at the end of the year. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t had job offers, however. He worked for a consulting group in the Twin Cities for several months while looking for another job. He had interviews for several high-profile companies including the Swiss bank UBS, but it’s the marketing job in Nike that interests Checa.

Nike doesn’t have a sterling reputation in Brazil, however. Checa said. Yet he’s ready for a new experience and he’s confident he can find something back near Porto Alegre, where he grew up.

“The job market in Brazil is hot,” Checa said.

Though his future is wide open, Checa is thankful for the opportunities he got at Riverland.

“Hands down, the U.S. has the best colleges and universities in the world,” Checa said. “They’re just outstanding.”