First Days in Costa Rica

Penn State students are enjoying their first few days in Costa Rica. We have spent the day at CATIE university and arrived late last evening in the rural community where students spent time getting to know their host families.

Melanie: Finding Inspiration

Hi! My name is Melanie Sheehe and I am a freshman at Penn State University Park.  I grew up in Hershey Pennsylvania as a lover of film, the environment, and social service.  I came across the Community, Environment and Development major during my new student orientation and knew that it was the perfect major for me.  I am an intended Spanish minor, as I took many years of it in high school and one semester here at Penn State.

My dream has always been to one day become a member of the Peace Corps.  I want to represent my home country as a nation of selflessness and service while also using my college degree to help create sustainable growth in underdeveloped nations around the world.  Many countries, like Costa Rica, have always instilled inspiration in me, because as a nation, the government prioritizes the conservation of natural resources and supplies adequate funding for national parks and wildlife reserves.  I have always wanted to work in a place that holds the values of a morally conscious and conservative nation.  The understanding that many countries in Latin America hold these values has driven me to continue to take Spanish so that one day I might be able to study in one of these Spanish speaking countries.

As for the Peace Corps, I have some experience travelling to developing countries and during my travels, I noticed that many of the relief efforts from nations like the US involve giving away resources and supplies, when this action is only a temporary fix that worsens the state of the struggling economy in the long run.  Instead of this, I want to use my life to spread knowledge to these countries so that they are able to recover and continue to grow in a sustainable way. This way, the foundation of the nation is strengthened through community and steady growth. I am particularly interested in the use of environmentally conservative transportation, like bicycles and public transportation; both of which reduce the use of nonrenewable fossil fuels. 

Natalie: Gender Dynamics around the world

Hello, my name is Natalie Vercillo from Allentown, Pennsylvania. I am a student at The Pennsylvania State University studying Community, Environment, and Development with a specialization in the Spanish language. Unfortunately, my Spanish is not that great even though I am a first generation Mexican. I enjoy being outside doing things like hiking, snowboarding, and swimming. I also love to travel and explore new cultures. Last semester I had the opportunity to study abroad in Barcelona, Spain. In Barcelona I had the chance to brush up on my Spanish and travel throughout Europe. I also thoroughly enjoy cooking and trying new foods.

After college I have plans to apply for the Peace Corps and volunteer in a Latin American country.

I am very excited to be traveling to Costa Rica in March. I am thrilled to get the chance to be researching gender roles and inequalities within the Pacayitas community. As a female I am an avid supporter of women empowerment. I believe that in any culture women are a vital asset to the economy and community. In Pacayitas I hope to learn the major roles men and women play within a community. I’m curious to see the inequalities women face in Costa Rica and compare it to the inequalities that occur in the United States. I am very interested in living in my host family and observing the roles men and women play in a family dynamic. I am excited to meet new people, eat new food, and learn a lot in Pacayitas, Costa Rica.

Gretchen: Pacayitas, Costa Rica, an opportunity to learn

As a child, I grew up on a produce farm located in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania. Ever since I was old enough to push the clutch of our smallest John Deere tractor, I have been involved with every aspect of the produce business. Throughout the years I have developed a great sense of appreciation for agriculture and the lifestyle it fosters. At the tender age of eight my father and grandfather encouraged me to learn how to make change so I could run the cash register at our small roadside market. As time progressed, I became attached to the local customer base in our small town, and to the visitors that our area attracted from afar. By my senior year in high school I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life in agriculture.

Initially, I chose to come to Penn State and major in Agribusiness Management because I planned to return to my family farm to take over the business. Family and friends told me that if I were to “get anywhere” in doing so, I would need to go to Penn State for their programs in agriculture because “they know their stuff”. After my first semester of classes, I was confident that my passion to study both agricultural sciences and business had been reinforced, and I continue to nurture that passion today. So far, I have been exposed to everything from how markets function and determine prices, to macroeconomic forces that determine supply and demand to how to properly bud- graft a cherry tree. Now that I have progressed into my fourth semester in the major, I can see that everything is falling into place for a successful future. 

During my stay with a local family in Pacayitas, Costa Rica, I am looking forward to interacting with the community members through hands on experiences such as teaching a lesson to grade school students, and helping the local farmers with their sugarcane harvest. My main goals during this trip are to understand the values and ideals of Costa Rican citizens, mostly in a religious sense, and to learn about the steps they take to ensure their soil nutrition stays in top condition (I know, these are two completely different topics!). It seems to be very easy to go into another country that some may even deem more “economically underprivileged” than our own, and act like we know everything, and thus try to force our ethnocentric principles upon others. My research on the rural Costa Ricans’ faith will ensure that my colleagues and I approach this community with the utmost respect and sensitivity to their culture. I would like to focus on the soil nutrition aspect of Costa Rican farming because a large part of the agricultural practices we use on our family produce farm focuses on ensuring the correct nutrients are present in our soils at all times. Soil is the life-source of our food. I assume the soil present in Costa Rica will be somewhat different than what we have in Central and Western Pennsylvania, but I may be surprised! I have a lot to learn from this experience, and I feel that I will enjoy every second of it!

Learning to understand and respect different international agricultural practices is essential for students who are majoring in Agribusiness Management. I grew up on an established sustainable family produce farm where I learned a great deal of the craft from my father and grandfather. Because this will be my first opportunity to travel outside of the United States, I will finally be able to gain a more global perspective of agriculture. My small town upbringing is a large reason why I have chosen to travel to Pacayitas, Costa Rica. An exposure to such a rich culture that is very different from my own will season me to grow in my academics and personal life. This short immersion

in this rural Costa Rican community will help me to learn first-hand what it is like to live in a small Central American rural community. I am excited to begin my semi-journey.

Keirstan: Counting down the days!

Hola mi amigos! This is about as much Spanish as I know, so my week in Costa Rica will be an exciting challenge.  My name is Keirstan Kure, I am a senior studying Plant Science (Agroecology) with minors in International Agriculture and Geography.  I enjoy learning about sustainable agriculture, how to grow different crops and cropping systems that increase soil health.  Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, I am so happy to have been able to call Penn State my home for the last three years. 

Picture of me and my brothers, they are my best friends
and I love adventuring with them 

Throughout my time here I have been involved in many activities including working for Food Services as a Sustainability Coordinator through which I developed a reusable takeout container program to reduce the amount of waste coming from styrofoam containers in the dining commons.  Currently I serves as the President of the Student Farm Club, which is a very active club that works to engage and educate students about the food system by providing hands on project and farm opportunities.  Outside of the food, agriculture and sustainability realm, I am also involved in Penn State Thon, the Penn State Sailing Club and spend my spare time in coffee shops or in the woods hiking.  I am very much looking forward to seeing and learning about the topography of Costa Rica and how their agricultural systems work in the mountains.  During the fall of my junior year, I spent the semester in Florence, Italy studying sustainable food systems and Italian, so I am bound to mix up what little Spanish I know with Italian.  I loved studying and traveling in Europe but could not be more excited to travel to Costa Rica and experience a completely different culture, way of life and farming scene (if you couldn’t tell I love food and farming).  I spent a great deal of time traveling while in Europe and am anxious to pack my backpack and get going!

During my time in Costa Rica, I hope to learn how food cooperatives contribute to community development and food security.   Across the world, agriculture and cooperatives are being used as a means of empowerment on an individual and community level as well as a means of providing and gaining access to fresh, nutritious, high quality food.  I am curious about if and how those patterns are playing out in Pacayitas as well as neighboring towns.  Where and who are the market for these products and how are they contributing to food security and access?  I am particularly excited for all of the farm visits so I can observe and gain hands on experience with crops and farming systems that I am not familiar with, especially when Paige said we would be visiting a coffee plantation and processor.  I am a self-proclaimed coffee addict so I think I will fit in the coffee drinking culture very well.  I am counting down the days to get on the plane!  

Kelsey: Investigating food and nutrition

My name is Kelsey Cantor. I am from a town in Pennsylvania called Williamsport. I like that there are places to go for walks outside and fun restaurants and coffee shops downtown to spend time with family and friends. My major is nutritional sciences and I am minoring in international agriculture. I love learning about how something as simple as food can sustain and promote health, provide opportunities for livelihood, and connect communities!

Some things I like to do are spend time with my family and friends, slow walks outside (when its warm!), exercising at the gym, watching movies, sketching and calligraphy, Bible reading and prayer, dancing, learning new things, drinking coffee at cozy coffee shops, and exploring new places. I also enjoy playing the bass guitar and listening to life music. I am involved with International Justice Mission through Penn State’s campus chapter because of the importance and conviction to fight for the dignity of all people and ensure protection from violence that cripples opportunity.

I would like to conduct research through a rapid rural appraisal format on nutrition conditions in Costa Rican communities. What are typical dietary patterns? How and where is food obtained, and what are the opportunities? How are food decisions made and what are is the community’s perceptions and priorities of their diet? These are some of the questions I would like to explore. I believe research on the nutrition status of rural Costa Rican communities is important because of the critical role it plays in health and quality of life. Food is essential for healthy growth and development and is highly correlated with the prevalence of or protection from chronic diseases. Developing a better understanding of what the current status is, where the gaps and opportunities lie in food intake and food supply will help create empowered and healthy communities.  

Kat: Learning about rural development

My name is Kat Conedera and I am a student at Penn State University.  I am double majoring in English and Community, Environment, and Development.  I am also pursuing a minor in Sustainability Leadership.  Once I graduate, I hope to work with small rural communities to strengthen their economies and social services.  I am interested in how humans interact with their environment and how those interactions affect the wellbeing of the planet.  Coastal sustainability is a passion of mine, and I hope to learn more about how our lifestyles affect the ocean.  However, my studies have focused mainly on rural development, so I hope to use that expertise in my own career.

My focus within my development degree is on community and economic development.  In other words, I have mainly studied communities in the United States and am knowledgeable about economic development practices within domestic communities.  I am therefore very excited to travel to Costa Rica so that I can build a stronger understanding of rural life outside of the US.  It is important for community development practitioners to understand the dynamics of other cultures, and understanding international development is a goal of mine.  I myself grew up in a rural town in Western Pennsylvania and have always been interested in the unique social dynamics created by rural communities.  I look forward to comparing my own community to that of Pacayitas in order to understand how rural communities are similar and different across the globe.  This is my first experience traveling to a rural part of Central America and the first time I have traveled to Costa Rica.

One specific aspect of rural life that interests me is community interaction and local government involvement.  In my community, everybody knows everybody else.  Because of that, I have always viewed my community as close-knit.  However, in communities that have less social ties, there is often a decreased level of interaction and well-being.  In fact, many rural areas have very little government involvement leading to vacancies in in positions that would otherwise positively impact the community.  Rural America is currently going through a transition, with many economic opportunities such as manufacturing plants leaving the area.  Because of this, these areas are facing higher levels of poverty and unemployment.  I would like to investigate the ways people in rural Costa Rica interact and how that connects to local government involvement.

Specifically, I will be researching rural development movements in rural Costa Rica as well as the culture of interaction between community members.  Additionally, I will learn about local government structures and how different positions positively or negatively affect development.  Using this information, I will compare communities with different levels of involvement to understand how certain development activities foster or stunt community engagement.  A necessary aspect of this is understanding how communities quantify well-being.  I look forward to discussing community involvement with my host family to understand how they believe their actions and social interactions positively contribute to their community.