Hi everyone! My name is Kyrsta Girardi, and I am a rising sophomore intending on majoring in civil engineering, potentially on the environmental engineering track. I also plan on pursuing the sustainability certificate.
This summer, I had the pleasure of travelling to Costa Rica for two weeks as part of the Plus3 program. During this trip, we got to learn all about the supply chain and production process of some of the country’s major exports, such as coffee, bananas, pineapples, palmito, and chocolate. Most of our days included tours of the companies that grow, harvest, and produce these goods, providing us with a first-hand look at all that goes into bringing these products from farm to shelf. This was a very informative and eye-opening experience, because there is so much that goes into this that I never would have known had I not been on this trip. As a result, I now have an even greater sense of appreciation for everything that I own, as I realize how much truly goes into getting it to me.
There were many factors that contributed to me wanting to participate in this program. It initially caught my eye for two reasons: the program length and the fact that it was available to freshmen. I knew coming into college that I eventually wanted to spend a semester abroad, but having never been out of the country before, that seemed a bit intimidating. Since this program was short, it allowed me to understand what it is like to study abroad so that I can better prepare for my future experience. I also was attracted to the program’s focus on sustainability, as this very closely aligns to my interests and my future career goals. The topics covered in this program as a whole seemed very interesting as well, and I think it was a great experience to broaden my knowledge and learn about engineering from a more business-focused lens, because outside of this trip I likely never would have gotten to see it from this perspective.
This program also provided several benefits from a personal aspect. As mentioned, I want to have a focus on sustainability in my career. However, this interest extends to my personal life too, as I am always looking for ways to be more sustainable personally. Costa Rica places a very large focus on sustainability and is consistently rated one of the top countries in that aspect. Therefore, throughout my time there, I was able to pick up several practices in the area of sustainability that I will certainly be bringing back with me. This trip also has helped me to broaden my cultural and global knowledge by immersing myself into another culture. As mentioned, I have never travelled out of the country before, so this was my first time truly experiencing how another culture operates. I definitely want to travel more in the future and broaden my knowledge even more, but this trip has been a phenomenal introduction that has only gotten me more excited to learn and experience more when the time comes!
