Maria Teresa is from Timor Oriental, she dreamed of studying in the United States. Unfortunately she would be unable to study in the United States, and would study instead in Brazil in UFBA. Her homeland was invaded multiple times by neighboring countries trying to take over their land. When she first began studying the UFBA in Brazil, she would have difficulty fitting in due to being the only Timor Oriental. She would begin to socialize with others and met a lot of her colleagues throughout her time in UFBA.