Dedicated to swimming, Vinicius Rios had hopes of reaching the Olympics.
That passion led to a swimming scholarship at West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech).
Coming from Brazil, he learned about WVU Tech through a friend who offered advice and support during his transition to the United States.
“He and other friends who came before me … have really helped me with decisions and trying to figure out things in the U.S. and learning about the culture,” says Rios, a graduate student in the strategic communication master’s degree program at Radford University.
Joining organizations such as the Brazilian Community Organization also assisted in his adjustment. Serving as president for two years, he organized cultural and food-related events.
After not realizing his swimming dreams, Rios shifted his focus to business and marketing. However, his true interest was in videography and photography.
Wanting more experience in the content creation side of marketing and communications, Rios became a university relations intern during his senior year. Over the course of the internship, he attended and photographed events on campus as well as produced videos.
