Antonino is a current student at MLC who is originally from Venezuela. He has two nationalities, however; the second being Italian. He has lived his whole life in the city of Barinas, Venezuela, and visits Italy whenever he can.
Antonino’s passion lies in the field of robotics. He has always known he wanted to study robotics engineering, and it is what initially pushed him to learn English in the United States. He was nervous at first, because of the language barrier, but quickly found community in the student life of Ann Arbor. “I think the lifestyle here is so good,” he says. In Venezuela, Antonino was looking for a sense of student life in the universities there. Upon arriving in Ann Arbor, he experienced the student life he wished for. He says that Ann Arbor is “a city for students and people who want to study whatever they have a passion for.” This has been inspiring for him in his English journey. “You can feel that you are not alone because there are students from different parts of the world,” he says. “I think that’s the best thing here: the student life.” Since he arrived at MLC, Antonino appreciates being able to improve his English skills while also improving as a person and experiencing a new lifestyle.
One aspect of the school that he values is the open friendliness that MLC offers. “Everyone is friendly,” he says. On his first day, he recalls being welcomed by staff members and students with open arms. “This is important,” he remarks. He values the warmness that Ann Arbor and MLC offers. These students he met on his first day soon became some of his best friends. Antonino enjoys spending time them now at school events, activities, and in his free time.
In addition to robotics, coffee is also a very important aspect of Antonino’s life. His family owns a coffee shop in Venezuela, which he hopes to help administrate after university to keep his family tradition alive. In his free time he likes to try new coffee shops around Ann Arbor. His favorite coffee spot is Comet Coffee because it is the most similar he has found to authentic Venezuelan coffee.
Although he is not sure where yet, Antonino looks forward to studying engineering robotics in university after MLC– and continuing to experience student life wherever his passions take him.
