J&F Institute Provides Life Changing Education Opportunities in Brazil

JBS provides many opportunities for families in communities where the company operates to work toward a better life. In Brazil, schooling is one of the biggest challenges for families that the J&F Institute has helped solve. The J&F Institute is a full-service school and education center that is fully funded by JBS. The institute started in 2010 as a business school that helps to bridge the gap between school and the JBS business.

Gabriel Rodrigues Da Cruz, a 19-year-old from Brazil, started school at the J&F Institute in 2016 at age 11. From a young age, one Gabriel's biggest goals was to provide his family a better life. The J&F Institute gave Gabriel the opportunities he needed to provide a better life for his family through free education and the opportunity to build his career with JBS. Gabriel’s mother felt this school was a great fit for him because of the various project options and life-changing opportunities her son would have. At school, Gabriel studied in a business program now known as Germinare Business. 

Through the J&F Institute, students are given internship opportunities to experience various roles within the JBS business. At the beginning of 2020, Gabriel obtained an internship with Swift - retail stores similar to Wild Fork Foods - in Brazil. After his internship, Gabriel became a salesperson for Seara in September 2020. In this sales role, Gabriel had goals, KPI’s and other performance metrics. Gabriel quickly learned that sales wasn’t where his passion was.

In October 2021, Gabriel moved to a position in the trading room in Brazil where he currently trades futures for fed cattle. Along with his trading role, Gabriel has had the opportunity to travel to the United States twice to automate databases for the US intelligence teams.

When asked about the J&F Institute, Rafael Marsola, Global Head of Risk Management stated, “It is both a privilege and a significant opportunity for us to collaborate with bright young individuals like Gabriel from the J&F Institute. These students actively contribute to the growth and development of the JBS culture, offering us the chance to share our career experiences while also learning from them.”

Gabriel chooses to stay with JBS because of the amazing opportunities that have been provided to him so far. When asked what opportunities he appreciates most Gabriel said, “Germinare (institutes middle school) gave me a better future and taught me how to be a better professional. My job gave me the opportunity to improve my life and give my parents a better future.”

Recently, Gabriel enrolled in one of the best universities in Brazil where he is starting classes in June to earn two degrees one in science and one in technology. During college, Gabriel plans to work as a cattle trader during the day and attend classes in the evenings to obtain his degrees. By putting this much time and effort into school and work, Gabriel is confident he will keep working to improve his life.

When Gabriel came to the United States, he was shocked by a few things, but one of the biggest surprises was the amount of Teslas he saw driving down the street. Gabriel was also surprised to see mailboxes on the side of the road and school buses driving down the street. While all these things were new to him, Gabriel is the most impressed by how the middle class can live.

“You don’t have to be rich to live a good life in the US,” Gabriel explained. Eventually, Gabriel would like to move to the US and work here full time. In the meantime, Gabriel plans to keep growing and becoming a better person and professional by doing more than what is asked of him.

The J&F Institute has provided life-changing opportunities for over 1,600 students to date. The institute is continuing to grow and evolve every year. In the fall of 2024, the very first college courses will be offered through the institute.

JBS is always working to provide a better life for its employees, their families and neighbors. The J&F Institute is a key example of the efforts in Brazil to do just that.