Sometimes all it takes is one yes: The journey of an international student
When Nathalia Silva joined Startup Sioux Falls as an intern in 2025, she arrived with technical skill, curiosity and a life story marked by courage and determination.
Born in Brazil and now a collegiate swimmer and international student at Augustana University, she has spent nearly five years in Sioux Falls understanding what it means to build a future far from home. What she didn’t expect was to find a community that made her feel seen and supported, and reminded her that she carries something powerful within her.
Learning to ‘enjoy the ride’
Silva describes her year with a simple phrase: “enjoy the ride.” It’s a mindset she picked up from a book by the same name, and one she leaned into as she navigated the realities of school, immigration, work, sports and personal dreams.
Growing up, she imagined a version of success that felt big: becoming an Olympian swimmer, building something meaningful, living a life full of curiosity and joy. As she grew older, she felt the pressure to be “realistic,” to shrink her dreams into something safer.
“I would keep dreaming. I would keep childing.”
Internship or not, Silva promised herself one thing: She would keep dreaming. She would keep “childing,” her word for staying excited about life, staying curious and choosing joy the way we all did as kids.
A place that felt like home
From her first day at Startup Sioux Falls, Silva felt something she hadn’t felt in years: comfort.
The brick building, the morning coffee, the friendly greetings and the everyday moments of connection helped her feel grounded in a city that previously had felt isolating.
“When you’re from another country, even a simple smile can change everything. I felt seen here.”
Startup Sioux Falls wasn’t just a workplace. It was the first place in Sioux Falls where she felt like she could be herself.
A moment that changed everything
In her second week, Silva was asked to build an email automation, something she had experience with through a previous internship. She sat down, opened her laptop and built the entire workflow in less than 20 minutes.
While she worked, a team of IT technicians happened to be fixing a nearby TV. Curious, they asked what she was building, and when she showed them, they were stunned. They told her that her logic was strong, her speed was rare, and her problem-solving instincts were exceptional.
For Silva, that moment changed everything.
“They looked at my work and said, ‘No, you’re really good.’ That meant more than they’ll ever know.”
For the first time in a long time, she saw herself not just as a student surviving in a second language but also as someone with real technical ability, someone who could contribute, build, create and lead.
The realities international students face
Silva is open about the hurdles international students face when trying to work in the United States. Many employers automatically reject applicants the moment they answer the “visa question”: “Will you now or in the future require sponsorship?” Although most international students can legally work for one to three years after graduation without sponsorship, many are filtered out by this question.
To her, this isn’t just a bureaucratic challenge — it’s emotional. She has watched classmates enter college full of excitement and ambition, only to lose confidence by senior year. Many start mentally packing their bags long before graduation, not because they want to leave but because they feel the doors closing before they can even knock.
Silva wants employers to understand what is lost in those quick rejections. International students bring immense talent, loyalty, cultural awareness and determination. Many have already overcome obstacles most people never see, and yet they continue to show up, study hard, adapt, build and contribute.
She wishes more companies understood that international students are not asking for immediate sponsorship or major commitments; they are simply asking for a chance to show what they can do.
And with those realities comes a message she hopes Sioux Falls employers will hear.
A message to Sioux Falls employers
Silva hopes leaders and teams across Sioux Falls will take a closer look at what it truly means to hire international students. They are not “extra steps,” and they are not a risk. They bring perspective, resilience and adaptability, and they are eager to make an impact.
She believes that a single opportunity can transform the trajectory of a young person’s life, the way Startup Sioux Falls’ “yes” transformed hers. Silva hopes employers who hire, mentor or support talent in this community will take the time to meet international students beyond the application, learn their strengths and recognize what they bring to a workplace. In many cases, she believes those conversations would change perceptions for the better.
“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” — Milton Berle
Looking ahead with hope
Now, when Silva walks around Sioux Falls, it feels different. The city feels softer, more familiar, sometimes even like home. The city that once felt temporary now feels like a place where she can grow.
“We’re all still childing. We’re all trying to become the version of ourselves we used to believe in.”
She hopes Sioux Falls will continue opening doors so more students like her get the chance to do the same.