The University of North Alabama excitedly welcomed over 120 new international students this semester with each their own unique cultures and stories to contribute to the student body. Among these students come a few friends from Ecuador, who attended high school together and now study abroad together.

Mario Ramírez, a sophomore majoring in Professional Management, is from Guayaquil and previously attended Blue Hill College. Ramírez explains that he chose UNA because it was the cheapest and easiest option to achieve his dream of studying abroad in the US. He has visited the US three times before, so was happy to come back again to study.

When asked about his interests, Ramírez expresses his love for food and cooking. He is very interested in sharing his culture, especially popular dishes served in Ecuador and jokes that all he packed to study abroad was food ingredients rather than clothes.

“One of my biggest dreams was to study culinary arts, I really love to cook,” Ramírez says.

Ramírez discusses his travels around all of his country, sharing that Ecuador is a big productive country of cacao and petroleum. He then explains that Ecuador is divided into four different regions: Jungle, Highlands, Coast, and Iceland. These different parts of the country have different food cultures that Ramírez is passionate about sharing. He says Ecuador is called the “four world country,” because of its
unique climate diversity. One could easily visit all four “worlds” since all of these climates are very close to one another.

Ramírez loves to cook, write, play sports, share his culture and spend time with others. He discusses how living in Rice Hall has led him to learn about many different cultures.

“UNA is really doing a great job by having all these cultures around the world. I’m here with people from all around the world and I really like it because I can learn about food, their language, and their humor,” he says.

Maria Jose “Majo” Saltos is a junior majoring in Professional Management, just like Mario. Raised in Guayaquil with a lot of family in the states, she dreamed of studying abroad since high school. Last semester, Saltos took online courses, so she was excited to start her first in-person semester in the US this year.

“At Blue Hill College, we had only a few options. I liked UNA because it gave me a sense of community. Southern people are nice and friendly. I also like all the benefits and offers. I like the gym, the teams, and the stadium. Everything is nice,” Saltos says.

In Ecuador, Saltos pursued entrepreneurship by selling her designs and she also managed the social networks of a physical therapist. She explains that it is hard to get a job back home, but feels that there is a lot of opportunity for her in the US. She gushes about her time abroad and emphasizes the importance of a positive outlook. “I think that you have to look at the bright side,” she says.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Saltos’ dream of studying abroad after she finished high school was put to a halt, causing her to wait until the spring semester of her junior year. While dreaming about being abroad, she spent a brief amount of time experiencing the culture of the US.

“I went to live for 25 days at an aunt’s house in Maples and I went to high school there for one week to see how people are and behave to see if I would be able to study here in college. I liked it there and I came here and the classes and people are very similar,” Saltos says.

“I feel free,” she jokes. “If I stayed home I wouldn’t have been able to learn how to live by myself.”

There are four other people from Blue Hill College that attend UNA. Saltos teases saying “they followed me.”

Like Ramírez, Saltos also wants to share the food from her culture. “I feel like you are missing out, there are some things that are just so delicious in our food,” she says. Saltos and Ramírez discuss how UNA differs from Blue Hill College, mainly in the campus structure and environment.

“The college in Ecuador is literally 10 rooms. Here you have buildings. In Blue Hill, I took basic classes. There’s no gym, there’s no team because there’s only a few people. The experience is different,” Saltos says.

“The biggest difference I’d say is the campus. Also having all the international students, I have friends from Korea, from India, the US. The interaction is what I like most,” Ramírez says.

“The way the Professors manage the classes is very different. I really feel that American teachers are into syllabus but in Ecuador we don’t do that. It’s different but I like it more,” Ramírez says.

“I feel like there are new things, new topics, I like the professors. People here are so nice. I like everything, even the Mane Market food,” Saltos says.

A big difference that students from Ecuador must face is the strange Alabama weather. The cold winter in Florence compares not at all to the heat in Ecuador. Ramírez shows off the 91-degree weather in Guayaquil and discusses his thoughts about the current 20-degree weather.

“I hate the weather–I came from a really warm country,” Ramírez said.

“It’s too cold. I don’t like the weather. I was freezing. But it’s not so bad because I have big coats,” Saltos said.

Overall, UNA’s International students inspire the student body to appreciate the world around them and the opportunity to study abroad.

“Studying abroad is a new experience. Every day you see new people,” Saltos says.

The students from Ecuador continue to inspire others by sharing their culture, friendship, and experiences. With 120 new students from all over the world, all students at UNA can learn and make memorable relationships that last a lifetime.