{"id":25475,"date":"2025-06-30T09:35:47","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T13:35:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/fb\/?p=25475"},"modified":"2025-06-30T09:35:48","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T13:35:48","slug":"2025-paper-international-experience-brazil-a-students-perspective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/fb\/news\/2025\/06\/2025-paper-international-experience-brazil-a-students-perspective\/","title":{"rendered":"2025 Paper International Experience: Brazil, A Student&#8217;s Perspective"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>by:  Kaya Kusmierczuk<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This May, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Brazil through the Paper International Experience (PIE) program. We kicked things off with a day of sightseeing in S\u00e3o Paulo, a perfect way to soak in some local culture before the industry tours began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the next few days, we dove deep into Brazil\u2019s pulp and paper sector. We visited Suzano\u2019s headquarters and a nearby Valmet facility, toured two major Suzano mills, and even got to see their eucalyptus cloning lab and nursery. One of the most memorable moments was driving deep into the countryside to witness logging operations in the middle of a eucalyptus forest. From saplings to final converted products, we saw firsthand how Suzano\u2019s operations reflect innovation and a strong commitment to sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/fb\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/06\/D8-Brazil-group-photo-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25478\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Equally impressive was Suzano\u2019s work in the community. We visited social projects where skilled artisans guided us through hands-on activities like pottery and embroidery. One especially fun day ended with a hike through one of Suzano\u2019s protected forests, followed by a rocky canoe trip through the rain, complete with soaked shoes and a few close calls with tipping canoes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Outside of our packed schedule, we embraced Brazil\u2019s vibrant culture, heading out in the evenings to try new foods and explore the local nightlife. One unforgettable group dinner at a traditional churrascaria brought us together over incredible food and lots of laughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/fb\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/06\/Brazil-2025-D4-dinner-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25479\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/fb\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/06\/Brazil-2025-D4-dinner-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/fb\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/06\/Brazil-2025-D4-dinner-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/fb\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/06\/Brazil-2025-D4-dinner-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/fb\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/06\/Brazil-2025-D4-dinner-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/fb\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/06\/Brazil-2025-D4-dinner-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This trip wasn\u2019t just about industry insights; it brought us closer together as students. Traveling, learning, and growing alongside this group built strong friendships and a sense of camaraderie that made the experience even more meaningful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Obrigada, Brazil!<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><em>by:  Kaya Kusmierczuk<\/em><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>This May, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Brazil through the Paper International Experience (PIE) program. We kicked things off with a day of sightseeing in S\u00e3o Paulo, a perfect way to soak in some local culture before the industry tours began.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Over the next few days, we dove deep into Brazil\u2019s pulp and paper sector. We visited Suzano\u2019s headquarters and a nearby Valmet facility, toured two major Suzano mills, and even got to see their eucalyptus cloning lab and nursery. One of the most memorable moments was driving deep into the countryside to witness logging operations in the middle of a eucalyptus forest. From saplings to final converted products, we saw firsthand how Suzano\u2019s operations reflect innovation and a strong commitment to sustainability.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":25478,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/fb\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/06\/D8-Brazil-group-photo-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25478\"\/><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Equally impressive was Suzano\u2019s work in the community. We visited social projects where skilled artisans guided us through hands-on activities like pottery and embroidery. One especially fun day ended with a hike through one of Suzano\u2019s protected forests, followed by a rocky canoe trip through the rain, complete with soaked shoes and a few close calls with tipping canoes!<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Outside of our packed schedule, we embraced Brazil\u2019s vibrant culture, heading out in the evenings to try new foods and explore the local nightlife. One unforgettable group dinner at a traditional churrascaria brought us together over incredible food and lots of laughter.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":25479,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/fb\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/06\/Brazil-2025-D4-dinner-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25479\"\/><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>This trip wasn\u2019t just about industry insights; it brought us closer together as students. Traveling, learning, and growing alongside this group built strong friendships and a sense of camaraderie that made the experience even more meaningful.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Obrigada, Brazil!<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by: Kaya Kusmierczuk This May, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Brazil through the Paper International Experience (PIE) program. We kicked things off with a day of sightseeing in S\u00e3o Paulo, a perfect way to soak in some local culture before the industry tours began. Over the next few days, we dove deep&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":274,"featured_media":25476,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[72,229,66],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-forest-biomaterials-newsletter","category-pie","category-scholarship"],"displayCategory":null,"acf":{"ncst_posts_meta_modified_date":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/fb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25475","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/fb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/fb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/fb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/274"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/fb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25475"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/fb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25475\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25480,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/fb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25475\/revisions\/25480"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/fb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/fb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/fb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/fb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}