Lindenwood Belleville student is a Brazilian living the American dream

In the middle of a particularly rough political season, Americans seem to hear nothing but angry candidates and voters complaining about a laundry list of things wrong with this country.

But a Lindenwood University-Belleville student who hails from Brazil said it was always his dream to some day move to the United States to find a piece of the American dream.

Since the moment he arrived, Rafael Follador Gabriel said he hasn’t been one bit disappointed.

“I think sometimes people see things differently when their on the inside than they would if they’re looking at it from the outside,” Gabriel said. “Life is much better here than in Brazil. There are so many opportunities. It’s unbelievable.”

Gabriel said he has been enamored with the United States — and America’s pastime, baseball — since he was a young boy when an uncle had an internship in San Francisco.

That uncle came back with stories of wonder about how great life is in the United States, and he gave Gabriel a Barry Bonds San Francisco Giants jersey that he treasured.

A journey to the United States also gave Gabriel a chance to continue to play his first love in the sporting world — soccer.

“In Brazil, by the time you don’t play soccer in college,” Gabriel said. “Either you go pro or you’re done” after high school.

Instead, Brazilian teens work with companies that train them in how to pass entrance exams for American colleges and universities and market themselves to schools in the United States.

He ended up with three offers to play soccer in the U.S.: one from Lindenwood-Belleville, one from a school in West Palm Beach, Fla., and another from a school “in the middle of South Carolina.”

Gabriel chose Lindenwood because, in addition to liking the soccer program there, Belleville offered the mix of small town life with access to a major city he was looking for.

“There are so many things to do so near by in St. Louis,” Gabriel said. “It’s perfect for me.”

While Americans complain about a perceived increase in crime rates, Gabriel said he feels much safer in the United States.

“In Brazil, if you live in a condominium complex, it has a giant wall all around it,” Gabriel said.

The wall is to keep residents secure, but he said it makes a person feel as if they live in a prison.

Because of the standard of living, the opportunities and the freedom offered in living in America, Gabriel said he never even considered going back to Brazil.

“This is the place to be,” Gabriel said. “I love America.”

Q: What is your career goal?

A: “My career and life goal is to do something that will make me ‘immortal.’ By that I mean something that will be remembered forever. For example, my great-grandfather debuted one of the most iconic soccer stadiums in Brazil, the Pacaembu, and because of that he will be alive as long as the stadium exists.’

Q: What is something about you that people will be surprised to learn?

A: “The fact that I speak fluently three languages: English, Portuguese and Spanish. I learned Spanish when I lived in Chile for one year with my family. I lived there because my dad was transferred there by the Brazilian Air Force, where he is currently a colonel.”

Q: Do you have any hobbies in your free time?

A: “My hobbies are playing sports and going to the movie theater. An interesting hobby I have is flying with my grandfather in his Cessna 170 airplane. The entire family is in the Air Force, and we always get together during the weekends in Brazil and fly.”

Q: Who is your greatest inspiration in life?

A: “My grandfather on my mom’s side and my father are my daily inspirations. They both came from really poor families but have been successful in life because of their hard work and nothing could stop them from pursuing their goal of improving their family situation and giving a better future to the next generations.”

This story was originally published April 12, 2016 at 10:02 AM with the headline "Lindenwood Belleville student is a Brazilian living the American dream."