BUT was a dream come true, says a graduate from Venezuela. Today she teaches Czechs about Latin American culture

Zulay Fonseca originally came here for love. Today, the Czech Republic is a second home for this Venezuelan. She learned Czech, studied mechanical engineering at Brno University of Technology and the Czech Technical University in Prague and started her own business during the COVID-19 pandemic. She owns a shop and a cultural centre in Prague, where she introduces South American culture to Czechs.

On the verge of adulthood, Zulay Fonseca decided to move from Venezuela to the Czech Republic to join her boyfriend. "I lived in České Budějovice and studied Czech. For two years I prepared and studied Czech to pass the university entrance exams," says the young Venezuelan, now fluent in Czech.

Although she had already applied to the Brno University of Technology, which she had dreamed of since a friend from Paraguay showed her the school, she eventually enrolled at the CTU, "It was mainly for practical reasons," she explains. She started studying the engineering programme remotely. But very quickly she realized that, disconnected from her classmates and teachers, she wasn't progressing as well as she could. "So I switched to full-time studies and moved to Prague," says Zulay Fonseca.

She successfully completed her bachelor's programme and has already submitted her only application for her master’s studies – at her dream BUT. "I didn't have the opportunity to move to Brno before, but after my bachelor's degree I thought why not. I was already prepared both linguistically and mentally. In Prague I had a background, friends, a job, but I still lacked something to be happy. So I applied to BUT, and when I was accepted, I moved to Brno and started from scratch," she says.

Although the new beginnings were not easy, Zulay Fonseca has not regretted her decision. "It was very hard at the beginning. I had to find out how BUT works, create a background, get used to a different accent. But life in Brno was much calmer. In Prague I was always in a hurry, here I could concentrate on my studies," says Zulay Fonseca.

And the dream college lived up to all expectations. "Studying at BUT was great. It was really the best choice for me. I always wanted to study there and I am glad that it came true," adds the proud graduate of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at BUT.

While writing her thesis, Zulay Fonseca fulfilled another dream. She got a job at Bosch, which was on her list of ideal employers. "I always wanted to work there, but I didn't know how to get there. At a job fair in Prague, I brought my CV to their stand and had the opportunity to speak directly to people from the company. Within a week, they called me and invited me for an interview," she says of her trip to Jihlava: "I needed to write my thesis and I wanted to write something practical related to my field. Bosch offered me a part-time job and the opportunity to combine my work with the focus of my thesis."

After finishing and defending her thesis, Zulay Fonseca got a job at Mercedes. "I had always wanted to return to Prague and here they offered me an opportunity to join a big program," she explains.

But the the pandemic came and changed everything. The programme was cancelled and Zulay Fonseca never joined Mercedes. "I had already moved to Prague, but at that point no one in the industry was hiring. So I ended up unemployed," she says.

But the young Venezuelan used the time to train in digital marketing and import/export. "This led to the creation of my own project, MiTierra.cz, which focuses on importing Latin American products, especially for the gastronomy industry. In addition to selling ingredients, I also try to teach Czechs how to prepare Latin American food. Many Czechs travel and are interested in our culture and cuisine," says Zulay Fonseca. She subsequently opened a shop and a cultural centre where, in addition to cooking, people can learn Spanish and Latin American dance. "I put everything I am into this place," Zulay Fonseca concludes.

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