Brazilian Visitors Graduate from SERC

The SERC community has bidden farewell and “Boa Viagem” (safe travels) at a graduation ceremony for a group of visitors from Brazil, who have been learning at the SERC Bangor Campus for the past eight weeks.

Twenty young students from the Paraibo region of Brazil have been studying English and participating in a wide variety of cultural activities with SERC as part of a UK-wide cohort facilitated by Education Together UK. The visitors have been staying with host families across the local community and, as well as experiencing Northern Ireland family life, have enjoyed trips to sites including the Titanic Museum, the Ulster American Folk Park and the Ulster Museum.

On Tuesday (15 April) the class gathered for a special lunch served in the Birches Restaurant on SERC Bangor Campus, following their final excursion to Parliament Buildings, Stormont.

After lunch, Noel O’Hare, SERC Head of Quality Excellence and Development, presented the students with certificates, recognising their achievements in the IELTS English Language exams. The visitors’ scores were impressive, especially considering that they had faced challenges such as travel delays and an outbreak of chickenpox since they had left home!

Elaine McKeown, SERC Senior International Development Manager, told the visitors, “The lecturing team at SERC tell me they have greatly enjoyed teaching you, and you can all be proud of your progress. The English language element is just one part of the experience, however; cultural education and personal development are important benefits gained from travel, and it’s been a delight to see you all grow and develop as people over the course of your stay with us. I am sure you will all continue to shine brightly in the future.”