Come Study in Costa Rica – Pura Vida!
Associate Professor and Chair of Health Promotion and Policy Sarah Goff shares her experiences as a member of the faculty-led Public Health in Costa Rica Study Abroad program.
I first went to Costa Rica nearly 30 years ago to study Spanish between my first and second years of medical school. I fell in love with the country over the eight weeks I spent living with my host family, traveling across the country, meeting so many friendly Ticos. I traveled to beaches on both coasts, visited an active volcano twice, and saw sea turtles nesting on a remote beach at night. Every day was an adventure, especially until my Spanish improved.
Last March I returned to Costa Rica as one of the four public health faculty members teaching in the Public Health in Costa Rica Study Abroad Program. I didn’t think this trip could possibly surpass the experience I had on my first trip, but it did. I got to spend three weeks with 13 remarkable students in a beautiful open-air classroom with lush gardens right outside the door and fresh local fruit served every day for 10:00 break. The class had been together for six weeks when I got there, and I was impressed by how quickly they had clearly become close friends. I was also grateful that they warmly welcomed me into their sphere.
We spent our mornings together in class and went on afternoon and weekend excursions. We went to a nearby botanical garden where we learned about the diverse flora of Costa Rica, ate water apples, and even saw psychedelic plants (no samples!). We spent a weekend in a rural fishing village where we held a health fair at the Mariposas del Golfo (Butterflies of the Gulf) Center. The center was started by a remarkable woman who, many years earlier, had organized the women in the village to develop economic independence by making and selling clothing and other goods. During the fair, students checked blood pressures, calculated BMIs, and offered tips on nutrition and exercise. There was play as well as work that weekend - the director’s husband took us out on his skiff to tour mangroves, swim, and watch the sun set over the gulf. We played board games at night and persuaded Henry, the school’s owner who accompanied us, to stop for ice cream at Pops on the way back to Heredia. Class members took many other trips together – to beautiful beaches, cloud forests, and I expect to sample some night life too.
Students in the program had decided to study abroad in Costa Rica for a variety of reasons. Some were looking for new experiences: “I wanted a change… every day is always the same at home and changing locations is good for the brain… it feeds the brain.” Some liked how easy it was to apply to the program and how you didn’t get behind because “This program fit perfectly with our public health requirements.”
The relationships students formed – with their host families and each other – were ones likely to last a very long time. “Living with a host family was so amazing.” “Everyone is so friendly. I was so frazzled when I got here, and my host dad hugged me and said, ‘Hola.’” “Everyone seems to care so much. Even my host family’s family cares about me.” The students also clearly cared deeply for each other: “I haven’t felt this close to people who are not genetically related to me for a very long time.”
I can’t wait to go back and see what adventures in and out of the classroom there will be this spring. Come join me and what I expect will be another wonderful group of students. October 14th is the deadline so don’t wait!
Learn more and apply to the faculty-led, Public Health in Costa Rica Study Abroad program here.