Edson DeOliveira still remembers walking out of the house on his first day of third grade.
He caught the faint scent of manure and spotted a cattle trailer on a neighboring lot.
“We’re not in Atlanta anymore,” he thought.
Not only was the DeOliveira family’s home in Ewing, Nebraska, a stark contrast from their last home in Atlanta, but it also was a far cry from their first home in Angola.
But growing up in the rural Nebraska village ended up shaping who DeOliveira is today.
“I not only got to see how being an immigrant is but how rural America is, which is an experience not many people get to have,” DeOliveira said.
DeOliveira, 32, earned his degree from UNMC earlier this month and is heading to the Indiana University School of Medicine to practice neurology.
Born in Angola, DeOliveira moved to Atlanta with his family when he was 6. His dad, a Methodist pastor, trained at Emory University for two years. He applied for positions at churches across the country and was accepted in Ewing, which is about 20 minutes southeast of O’Neill.
“We were always big city people in a small town,” he said. “But early on we were very fortunate to have members of the congregation embrace us.”
Moving to Atlanta from Angola was “a huge shock,” DeOliveira said. But growing up in Ewing gave him insight into the nuances of small-town life.
He went to a lot of potlucks, played plenty of Scrabble games and spent time on neighbors’ farms.
“People look out and care for each other,” he said. “They’re very simple things, but upon reflection, I realize they really did make up a big part of my childhood and set me on this trajectory.”
DeOliveira was always interested in science. He read science-fiction books and participated in science fairs and camps. One of his science teachers saw his knack for science and encouraged him to take part in UNMC’s Rural Health Opportunities Program.
He leaned on his mother, who worked as a CNA, and one of his sisters, who went to nursing school, for advice as he considered a career in medicine.
DeOliveira completed his undergraduate degree at Nebraska Wesleyan University before enrolling at UNMC, where he’s completed a master’s degree and medical school.
“I can call Nebraska home officially now,” he said. “Seeing the ways I’ve matured — thanks to the people of Nebraska in small towns, in Omaha and at UNMC — made the biggest difference.
“I owe a lot to the faculty members and community at UNMC. I’ve grown as a student and a young professional. They were instrumental in helping guide me where I’m headed. I want to say thank you to them.”