Skills
Communication
During my study abroad program in Costa Rica, our class designed a research project on coffee plants to compare stomatal conductance in leaves with and without the coffee rust disease. The goal was not only to collect thorough data but also to communicate our findings clearly to instructors, researchers, and other students. I helped create figures, draft figure captions and future directions, and turn our results into a scientific poster that highlighted how rust and sun exposure affected leaf function. By the time we presented, I felt more comfortable explaining our methods and answering questions. That experience made research communication feel like a skill I could keep building rather than something intimidating.
Teamwork
The Costa Rica course required living, learning, and doing fieldwork with the same small group of students every day. We had to coordinate who carried equipment, who recorded data, and who checked measurements while moving between hot, uneven plots and forest trails. I made a point of checking in with teammates about how they were feeling, taking turns with the more tiring tasks, and making sure everyone knew the plan for the day before we left the field station. That effort helped our group stay organized and on schedule, and it created an environment where people were more willing to speak up when something wasn’t working. This allowed for an efficient and pleasant work environment.
Critical Thinking
In the same project, our early measurements did not match what we expected based on background readings about coffee physiology and disease. Instead of forcing the data to fit our assumptions, I went back through our sampling scheme, checked for patterns in time of day and light conditions, and talked with my teammates and instructor about possible sources of error. We realized that some of our “control” leaves were experiencing different microclimates than others, which helped explain the confusing values. Adjusting how we interpreted those points led to accurate results and reminded me that critical thinking in ecology often means slowing down and asking whether the design, not just the theory, needs another look.
Global and Cultural Engagement​
Studying plants and people in Costa Rica gave me a concrete view of how conservation, agriculture, and culture are intertwined. Our sites included coffee farms, experimental plots, and protected areas, and at each place we heard from local staff about how their work connected to livelihoods and history. I tried to listen carefully, ask respectful questions, and practice speaking Spanish during everyday interactions, from meals at the field station to conversations with guides. That experience helped me see tropical ecology not just as a source of research, but as something that sits inside local communities. It strengthened my interest in future work that involves collaborating across countries and cultures.
