Raíssa Sousa and Welenton Webler were both exchange students from Brazil when they met in August 2015.

“We didn’t know each other before since he’s from Santa Catarina state and I’m from São Paulo state, more than 620 miles apart,” she says. “The day I arrived at Miner Village, he offered to help me with my suitcases since my room was on the third floor and, when he picked one up, the handle broke.”
Raíssa studied petroleum engineering and Welenton studied computer engineering while at Rolla. The pair would often walk to campus and have breakfast together at the Havener Center or at the Starbucks cafe inside the library.
Today the couple lives in Brazil, where Raíssa works for Bayer and Welenton works for Amazon Web Services.
Their relationship advice?
“Listen and support each other in both good and challenging times,” she says.
Share This Story
Spark a Memory?
Share your story! Fill out the form below to share your fondest memory or anecdote of S&T. If you'd prefer not typing, you can also share by phone at 833-646-3715 (833-Miner150).
Building a legacy of mechanical engineering
A registered professional engineer, John Toomey, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering in 1949 and 1951, founded…
Pam (Thebeau) and Dennis Leitterman
Although both Pam (Thebeau) and Dennis Leitterman started as freshmen in fall 1971, they didn’t meet until August 1975. “I…
Chloe Howenstein-Heskin and Shayne Heskin
Chloe Howenstein-Heskin and Shayne Heskin met during the spring semester of their freshman year in 2011. The two were part…
So April. Very Fools. Many Smart. Amaze.
We don’t always pull pranks on April Fool’s Day. But when we do, we win. So proclaimed WIRED on their…
Studying the past to improve the future
Katy Bloomberg, who earned her bachelor’s degree in history in 2006, believes that her experience working in S&T’s Archives prepared…
Jack Ridley: a humanist among engineers
Jack Ridley, who won many teaching awards during his career, describes the circumstances he faced as a new...