Students of Northeastern University building a playground for a local elementary school. La Alegría de Siquirres, Limón, Costa Rica.

Plots of Neotropical hardwood tree seedlings. EARTH University, Guácimo, Limón, Costa Rica.

Being the summer course assistant at EARTH University for three months was amazing. Because as a professional I want to have a focus in the Neotropics, this job was able to give me a unique addition to the other opportunities that I have had in Central America. Through the job, I was able to be a tour guide for university student groups that came to EARTH on Maymester trips. In the typical day, I acted as not only a tour guide but an interpreter during activities, and I assisted in logistics for the groups. Activities were very diverse and depended on the goal of the group in which I helped to host. Typically, groups wanted to learn more about sustainable agriculture, but they also wished to have interactions with local people and to participate in social work. And of course, there were ecotourism activities such as whitewater rafting, zip-lining and repelling, visits to volcanoes and hot springs, and of course---the beach!

Texas Tech University. Arenal Volcano. La Fortuna de San Carlos, Alajuela, Costa Rica.

Definitely the most worthwhile activities that groups sought were those that the typical tourist does not see on their trip to Costa Rica. Places seen and things done include family home stays, visiting completely sustainable communities and seeing how they farmed, viewing 100% organic pineapple fields and hearing from the developers about this technology, a trip to Chiquita banana plantation and packing plant, speaking with Dr. Alan Pounds, a renowned biologist studying climate change at Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, visiting geothermic plants, and meeting Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz, a retired Costa Rican astronaut who is helping to develop the plasma rocket at a research plant of AD Astra Rocket Company.

Baldi Hot Springs. La Fortuna de San Carlos, Alajuela, Costa Rica.

Overall, even though I did not participate in research activities, this job was a great precursor to my doctoral studies in the ESE program. Most of my previous experiences in Costa Rica have been focused in the Central Valley, and the activities presented to me as the summer course assistant gave me a broader personal exposure to the Caribbean and Pacific sides of the country. Also, I was able to learn about the breadth of research projects taking place in Costa Rica, and I met innovative professionals in many different fields. More than anything, the job reinforced my desire to pursue a career that will take me back to Central America to work towards limiting the impact of the human footprint on natural systems.

Pineapple packing plant. Near La Fortuna de San Carlos, Alajuela, Costa Rica.	Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. Monteverde, Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. Monteverde, Puntarenas, Costa Rica.	View of the Turrialba Volcano from the Guácimo EARTH University campus. Guácimo, Limon, Costa Rica.

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