I have a better understanding of my future

While in Costa Rica, I got to work with a group called Girls for Success. Girls for Success is an after-school program that teaches girls, ages 6-12, English language and women empowerment. While working daily with these girls, I was conducting research on a sustainable funding plan for the program. This program has struggled to have enough funding for a new educational center, supplies, and sponsoring each girl to join the program for free. Conducting this research and working with the girls has enhanced my learning experience and has allowed me to settle on a career path as my graduation date approaches. I have found that I love working with kids and also love to take initiative and find solutions to arising issues. This program has allowed me to learn so much about myself and have a better understanding of what I want to do with my future. Not only did this program open my eyes to my career path, but the program also taught me that I do not need to be so focused on success and money in my future. The way of life in Costa Rica is so different from the way of life in the United States. Most people in Costa Rica find joy in just being able to live a simplistic lifestyle day to day. This energy allowed me to realize that I can be so happy without a materialistic life.

While living in Costa Rica for three months, I was living with host families who spoke no English. At first it was extremely scary because I could not have any conversations. After a few weeks of having Spanish classes and only being able to have conversations in Spanish, I found myself improving drastically. I was able to understand conversations, put my input in conversations, and be able to tell my host families stories about my life. While navigating the Spanish language, I found that almost everyone in Costa Rica was patient with my Spanish-speaking abilities and appreciated that I was trying to speak Spanish. Most people I met in Costa Rica were extremely nice and excited about my studies and supported my slow language-learning progress and my research during the program.

Living and learning in Costa Rica opened my eyes to a plethora of new perspectives. I was able to learn so much about the culture, history, and just day to day life. I have a different outlook on life and learned so much about myself and my own needs as a student. This experience has made me a better person and has allowed me to appreciate so much more about the world and my life. Studying abroad is the highlight of my college career and I will take everything I learned and accomplished to my future career and my future learning.

Name: Delta Waldburger
Status: Senior
Major: RCAH
Hometown: Garderville, Nevada
Program: Sustainability and Civic Engagement in Costa Rica