A Brazilian psychology student who has become a familiar sight in Chicago for jogging through the city with a Chicago flag draped across his shoulders is preparing to leave the United States after going unmatched for the clinical internship that would have kept his student visa active.
Joabe Barbosa, 25, moved to Chicago in 2022 to pursue a doctorate at Roosevelt University. He was on track to graduate in 2027. This spring, he failed to match with one of the clinical internships required to finish the program, leaving him without a legal basis to stay once his academic year ends, he told Block Club Chicago and the Chicago Sun-Times.
“I was devastated when I found out,” Barbosa told Block Club Chicago. “I’ve paid all this money and I’ve worked so hard for something to just be out of my control.”
Federal rules give international students on F-1 visas 60 days after their program ends to leave the country, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Barbosa’s father started a GoFundMe to help cover travel and reapplication costs. The campaign had raised more than $5,300 by early April.
Barbosa is not a lifelong runner. He picked up the sport in August 2024, while recovering from a hiking injury. By November 2025, he and his brother James Barbosa, along with friend Matthew Plese, set the Guinness World Record for the fastest visit to every station on the CTA “L.” They hit all 146 stops in 8 hours, 58 minutes and 55 seconds.
Then he turned to the streets. Using the running app City Strides, Barbosa set out to put a footprint on every block in Chicago, a goal of more than 4,000 miles. He is at about 85 percent. His Instagram, which has 46,400 followers, frequently shows him being joined mid-route by other runners. He has also given a TEDx talk, sprinted through the United Center during a Bulls game, and jumped into a frozen Lake Michigan with the local Great Lake Jumper.
The pace of his project has at times resembled a running streak, with Barbosa logging miles in nearly every weather and at every hour. “Whenever I’ve gone out running, 1 a.m., early morning, late afternoon, rain, sunshine, people have shown me so much love,” he told Block Club Chicago. “I’ve never once felt unsafe.” Solo nighttime mileage of that volume is rare, and runners attempting anything similar should review basic road and trail safety practices first.
The squeeze on his future is a numbers problem, said Courtney Kibble, director of the Roosevelt psychology program. About 600 doctoral students across the country went unmatched for an internship this year, she told both outlets. International students also face a steeper climb because roughly one-third of available programs do not accept them.
“He’s a well-qualified student, and he’s done phenomenally in our program,” Kibble told Block Club Chicago. “It’s just the limitations on current training availability.”
Chris Bergin, an immigration lawyer with Centro Sin Fronteras, said the current political climate has raised the stakes for any student who overstays. “In the past, if a student overstayed, it wasn’t a priority for ICE to come grab them,” Bergin told Block Club Chicago. “Now, especially with Stephen Miller running immigration policy out of the White House, it’s a different calculus for international students.”
Before he leaves, Barbosa wants a send-off. He has planned a final run at 10 a.m. on June 14, starting at Oak Street and finishing at Ida B. Wells Drive, down Michigan Avenue. He says all of Chicago is welcome.
“Every single Chicagoan is invited,” he said.
If nothing changes, he will head back to Brazil and try to match again next year. As a clinical psychology student, Barbosa has spoken about running’s role in supporting mental health, and he says he hopes to one day run every street in New York and Los Angeles, too. For Chicago runners who would rather take in the city by foot at race pace, the Chicago Marathon covers 29 neighborhoods. If you need a push to get out the door for any of it, our running motivation guide is a good place to start.
“I may have to go home, but I’m bringing Chicago with me,” Barbosa told the Sun-Times. “I love this city.”
Reporting from Block Club Chicago (Joel Reese, March 31, 2026) and the Chicago Sun-Times (Cindy Hernandez, April 1, 2026).
