From Brazil to Wisconsin (and Belgium!)
How one exchange story inspired generations of memories

When Brunela left Brazil in 1994 to embark on her YFU year in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she expected a few months of new experiences, language learning, and fresh cultural insights. She couldn't have predicted that 30 years later, that single year would become a multi-generational family legacy.

Discovering new hobbies (and skills)

Brunela's arrival in the U.S. during the 1994–1995 school year coincided with an exciting moment back home: Brazil had just won its long-awaited fourth World Cup title. Naturally, her Brazilian heritage caught the eye of her U.S. high school soccer coach.

"In the spring, one of the sports offered by the school was softball, which is what I was going to do," Brunela recalls. "To my surprise, I was 'invited' to play soccer—our football—precisely because I’m Brazilian! I tried explaining that being from Brazil didn't automatically make me a soccer player, but they insisted and I accepted the challenge." To her own surprise, Brunela stepped onto the field and discovered she actually had great skills, delivering standout moments for the team throughout the season.

But soccer was just one piece of her American high school sports experience. In the fall, she played tennis, and in the winter, she tried basketball, the sport of her dreams. Making the varsity basketball team was a moment of pure disbelief and joy. To top off a dream season, she even had the unforgettable opportunity to attend an NBA game featuring the Milwaukee Bucks against the Chicago Bulls, watching legends like Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Charles Barkley play live!


A host family legacy

The bonds Brunela formed with her host family ran deep; so deep that her exchange story became a roadmap for her own family. After Brunela returned to Brazil, her brother went to stay with the exact same host family. The following year, her sister followed in their footsteps, traveling to the very same house in Milwaukee.

Recently, nearly three decades after her exchange, Brunela returned to Wisconsin to visit her American parents and host sisters, bringing her husband and two children along for the reunion. Upon stepping back into the house, she found that her host family still had photos of all three Brazilian siblings on display, a touching reminder that once you join a host family, you remain part of it forever.


Passing the baton: The next generation

Growing up, Brunela’s daughter, Valentina, listened to endless stories about her mother’s high school exchange in the United States. Inspired by that lifelong impact, Valentina decided to write her own YFU chapter.

Last year, exactly 30 years after Brunela's own journey began, Valentina boarded a plane for her own exchange program in Flanders, Belgium, returning home just last month.

As Brunela watched her daughter step onto the plane to experience the same growth, challenges, and joy that shaped her own youth 30 years prior, it brought her journey full circle.

For Brunela, Valentina, and their entire family, YFU was the spark that built a legacy of global connection, empathy, and lifelong friendship across borders.