“I started playing tennis a year ago, I used to constantly search for a sport that I identified with. After trying out swimming and track, I landed on tennis and instantly fell in love with the sport. I was inspired by my friends Nico (’25) and Alex (’25) to pursue tennis, and ever since then, I have been working really hard to improve my game”.

Rafa is a Junior and is excited about the IB diploma. He is taking two social sciences, higher level history, and higher level economics, along with higher level AI mathematics, as well as standard level computer science, Portuguese A, and English literature. For Rafa, the best part of his schedule is his history class, describing that the teacher’s excitement and connection with the students make the class enjoyable and something to look forward to. When asked to give a tip for upcoming 9th and 10th graders, Rafa mentioned that it’s essential to “keep your goals in mind” when choosing classes, as well, that in his eyes “high school is short” and thinks everybody should “enjoy their time here to the fullest”. Born and raised in Sao Paulo, he has been a part of Graded since 2021, and despite joining the school mid-pandemic, has managed to rapidly adapt and make himself a home in the Graded community. Rafa characterizes his favorite part of Graded as the people and his interactions with students and teachers alike. He says that the contact with the “diverse backgrounds and cultures” within the community has been, “a unique experience that only Graded could have provided me with”. He is looking to study abroad for college in the US, following the footsteps of his sister (Julia ‘22).  Despite his uncertainty regarding his studies, he feels reassured that all will be well since “there is still a long journey ahead”. Besides academics, some of his hobbies include reading history books, computer programming, and video games. Above all, he thinks of his friends as one of the most important aspects of his life, “I wouldn’t be where I am now without them”.