Name: Geohanna Noel
Major: Clinical Psychology
Classification: Graduate student
Graduation date: Spring 2025
Hometown: Maracaibo, Venezuela
Extracurricular activities: “I don’t have much time with the Ph.D. I have very little time to do the things I like. I really like to dance. Before moving here, I practiced flamenco. I’m trying to get back into it, but it’s been a little hard to make time for it. I also like to dance salsa, merengue, everything. I really like hiking. I really like doing outdoor activities. I did a lot of rock climbing in Venezuela and I have been doing it sometimes at the REC, where that climbing wall is.”
What are the differences between your hometown and the United States? “There are people who say that this city is very similar to where I live. … Maracaibo is a very hot city, just like here, so it is very similar. Those are the similarities. It is very flat. Everything is like a square. The difference is culture, of course. The people in my hometown are very outgoing people. We are friends with everyone. We invite everyone to the house. We are like a group. We always go as a group to everyone’s house to go out or have a drink and that’s not the case here. Even though the [Rio Grande] Valley is a border [region] near Mexico, it is not the same. Although people speak Spanish here, it is a very different Spanish.”
What is on your bucket list? “Finish my doctorate with great success. It’s a lot of work and it’s a lot of effort, so, really, the goal is to finish, which is a dream for me to be here. … The second is to travel. I want to go to many beaches. I want to go to Europe. Get to know more European countries; I know some but not many. I want to have a good job, so I can pay for all my trips. … Enjoy life and meet people. For me, that is very important.”
Who is your role model? “I think several people. I would take a little bit from my mom, from the things I learned from her when she raised me. There are teachers who were like my tutors in Venezuela, who helped me get to where I am now. … And I honestly believe that myself. I think it’s going to sound weird, but I think that I have reinvented myself a lot in the last few years of my life for many reasons. I think I’m forming a new vision of the things I want for myself.”
Why did you choose clinical psychology as your major? “I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology in Venezuela and a master’s degree in medical sciences. I had the opportunity to have experience with clients and patients in Venezuela. I realized that I really like to learn about all human processes, emotions, behavior, understanding why we are the way we are and why we do the things we do. I think more than ever today, people are very disconnected from themselves, from their own personal needs.”
What advice would you give other international students? “The United States is not easy at all. First, you have to be outstanding in your country, because you are not going to achieve it by being average. You have to build a career before coming here, especially if you are looking for funding. Most of us international students are here with funding from the university; otherwise, we wouldn’t make it. It is very expensive, even if you are from this country. … Get advice from educational institutions, for example Education USA. … Get advice from people who know what the educational system is like here, so that you can put together your entire application, because the educational system here is very different. As much as you know English, and more or less you know what it’s about, there’s no way you can do it if you don’t prepare and seek advice. Be clear about what you want to do because this requires a lot of sacrifice on a personal and emotional level, leaving your family. The United States is a beautiful country and there are many opportunities, but you are also leaving your entire country, your roots, your comfort zone. So to do that, you have to really want this very much.”
–Compiled by Fatima Gamez Lopez
