HOW DID YOU ENGAGE WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY WHILE ABROAD?
My first night abroad, my host mother took my roommates and I on a mini tour around the neighborhood. Since then, I made an effort to explore the area more, visiting the local Fresh market habitually and trying local restaurants, while avoiding things like UberEats and big food chains. Outside of my homestay and university’s neighborhood, I also explored the downtown area and supported small businesses, such as those within flea markets. Throughout all of these interactions, I tried to use the currency and language of my host country. Furthermore, my program allowed us to volunteer with an organization called Project Daniel, where I was able to spend time with amazing people diagnosed with cancer.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE CLASS WHILE ABROAD, AND WHY?
My favorite/main class abroad was the Medical Spanish for Health Professionals course at Universidad de Veritas in San Jose, Costa Rica. During this course, I learned a vast amount of medical terminology, pertaining to human anatomy and types of injuries, physicians, and medications. Being that I took an Anatomy and Physiology course the previous semester, it was very interesting to learn similar things in a different language and from a different perspective. Though the amount of memorization required was slightly challenging, I know it will be beneficial as I begin my career in the field of healthcare.