At a glance
“I just fell in love with the campus even though it was virtual. I always like more of a rural place, a smaller town, so I did the virtual tour and I just immediately fell in love.”
Gabriela Leite
Gabriela Leite has been able to mix academics, athletics, and her job as a tour guide into a rewarding collegiate experience at Alfred State.
Gabriela was born and raised in Brazil until her family move to the United States and Arkansas when she was 15. After being contacted by the swimming coach at Alfred State, she started researching the opportunities she would have far from home.
Watch Gabriela's My Major Video
“I just fell in love with the campus even though it was virtual. I always like more of a rural place, a smaller town, so I did the virtual tour and I just immediately fell in love.”
Gabriela was undecided on what she wanted to study until she took an accounting class during her second semester. “I started to realize I really like accounting and my third semester I took managerial accounting which I truly enjoyed. I then took a business communication class that was interesting. So as the years go on, I am just falling in love with my major.”
As a double major, Business Administration and Accounting, Gabriela really likes the smaller classroom environment. “I get more attention from the teacher, especially in certain situations where I might not know exactly what I am doing. I am less scared to raise my hand and ask a professor a question. Every single professor that I have had so far has been extremely friendly and welcoming.”
Gabriela, whose only visit prior to starting classes was during an accepted students day, now is showing the campus to prospective Pioneers the campus as a tour guide. “I really like showing off the dorms and the residence halls because that is the part of the tour where students and parents are most excited about. It is exciting to see a spark in their eyes as they realize they might be living here next year. I just like helping students get to know the school.”
On top of her academics and giving tours, Gabriela is a part of the women’s swimming & diving team and a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. The combination of these has helped her adjust to going to college far from home.
“It was scary at first being so far away from family, but the community here really helped me. They were really welcoming, and I made friends quick.”
Alfred State has helped Gabriela climb the hill to a great career.