Milena Pereira Machado '21 wouldn't leave her teenage daughter behind in Brazil, but her daughter wouldn't let her mom leave her dreams behind either.
That was the headline, above, when the Every Student Has a Story spotlight shined on Milena in a November 2019 issue of the SCoop. Nearly four years later, Milena has graduated and is now pursuing her Siena MBA. But, this story is no longer about Milena; it's about the person next to her in the pictures. Here's the updated headline for today's purpose:
Milena Pereira Machado '21 wouldn't leave her teenage daughter, Maria, behind in Brazil, but her daughter wouldn't let her mom leave her dreams behind either. Now, Maria Machado Kloster Oliveira '27 is pursuing her own Siena dreams.
Milena and Maria left their home in Brazil so Milena could pursue an American education. She got a taste of the Siena campus in 2018 through the Brazil Summer Institute program and wanted to enroll full-time, but only if her daughter was up for uprooting her entire life. She was. Maria enrolled as a freshman at Shaker High School so she could support her mom's Siena dream. When it came time for Maria to choose a college, she had different plans.
"She was looking at other schools, but I was telling Maria you have to consider Siena," said Milena. "I know I'm biased because I love Siena. The community opened their arms to both of us. I wanted Maria to be a part of this. I talked to the friars, and they told me I had to give her space. When I finally did that, Maria looked at me and said, 'What do you think about going to a Siena open house?'"
The timing worked out perfectly. Maria is interested in criminal justice, and Siena recently launched its criminal justice major. In the end, Maria applied to only one school.
"The people are really nice," said Maria. "Everyone I meet, the staff in the dining hall, the culture is very welcoming. The professors are great."
Milena will graduate with her MBA in May, but until then, mother and daughter are college classmates. They're not taking the same courses and are rarely on campus at the same time, but they do bump into each other occasionally, which can lead to stories like this:
"I was with a friend, and I happed to see my mom, so I went over to say hello. When I walked back, my friend asked, 'Who is that? Someone from class?' I asked, 'Do you think I look like her? Because, that's my mom.' My friend couldn't believe it."
"I guess it's flattering that Maria's friend would think I'm just another undergrad in one of her classes!"
Milena is still mom, though, and still wants to protect her daughter from making her mistakes. They still eat dinner together almost every night, and Milena offers advice about life as a freshman.
"I want her to be different than me. I want her to participate and engage. I was afraid to do that and I missed a lot of opportunities. I don't want her to miss out. That's why I was so happy when she came home from the club fair and said, 'Mom, I signed up for so many clubs."
Weeks into her Siena journey, Maria is participating in club volleyball and club tennis, and she still hopes to try out for club soccer. She's also volunteering and hopes to get involved with ACE, and she's part of the International Student Association (ISA). She may even look into starting a forensics club on campus.
Maria would like to pursue a career in forensics psychology or forensics science, and when Milena completes her MBA, she'll be looking for work in business administration. For now, though, they'll continue to enjoy their one year together as Siena students.
"I thought I would stay here for a year and then go back to Brazil, and then COVID happened. The borders were closed and I had to stay. My first year of high school, I never tried to get involved because this life was temporary. In 2021, though, I started to bond with people. I started feeling more confident. I started to think this is a place I can call home.
I can always go back to Brazil someday, but I'll never get this experience again. I'm commuting right now, but I'd like to live on campus next year. I want to get involved as much as I can and get everything possible out of my time at Siena."
Maria Machado Kloster Oliveira '27
