Thaisi Da Silva is a cultural traveler.

Born in a very small, rural area in Minas Gerais, Brazil, she spent most of her early childhood with her adoptive parents in Brazil. When she was 4, her parents immigrated to America and settled near New York with hopes of giving her more opportunities.

“My parents are in their 70s and they adopted me in their late 40s and for that I am very thankful,” she said. “If it wasn’t for them bringing me here I would have not had as many opportunities, especially going to college. They are very proud of me.”

The many encounters with different people have made the recent Hampton University graduate a better journalist.

Raised in Hudson County, N.J., she became accustomed to various cultures at a young age. Portuguese was her first language and she also became fluent in Spanish by spending time with Hispanic kids when she was little.

“The way I grew up helped me to not be intimidated in any situation. It makes me comfortable around people and helps me to make people feel comfortable,” she said.

Da Silva found her knack for journalism on the rooftop in her backyard. She would sit on her rooftop where she could see over all of her neighbors’ backyards and write on her notepad. She served as her community’s neighborhood watch girl.

As a curious 8-year-old, DaSilva wrote down the things that intrigued her about her neighbors and their everyday life.

“There was this Portuguese woman who always yelled at her dog,” she said.

In addition to her neighborhood snooping, Da Silva said she was always good at writing.

“Since I was a kid I wanted to be a writer. I realized it wasn’t the easiest task to become a fiction author, so I began to look at other writing careers and found journalism,” she said.

Only two years ago she discovered photojournalism, and now she has added a camera to her notepad. Broadcast journalism has also become another possible avenue for her life, with a television station offering her a two-year apprenticeship covering all aspects of the business behind and in front of the video camera.

With many opportunities, Da Silva says she has one goal: “Personally, I just want to tell great stories.”

– Tahirah Hairston

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