Costa Rica: Field Research in the Environment, Social Sciences, & Humanities testimonials
Doing the ACM Costa Rica program was one of the best experiences of my life. I was doing things that I wouldn't think to do back home. Being from a big city, it was nice to see how "different" the city of San José compares to the city of Chicago. The length of the program was perfect for me, because my college is on a trimester schedule. I was so happy to combine my two passions with my research project: Latin American Studies and Music. It was a great cultural experience, and I hope to visit Costa Rica again in the future.
—Diana Razo, Costa Rica, Spring 2010
My semester in Costa Rica with ACM was hands-down the most exciting, interesting, and formative semester of my college years. In one semester, I absorbed more Spanish, Costa Rican culture, and knowledge of ecology and the scientific process than I knew possible. Personally, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone in the security of the supportive ACM staff and my host family and gained self-confidence and independence while seeking out the adventure I craved. The ACM Costa Rica Field Research Program is unique among Costa Rica study abroad semesters in that they guide you, with the support of a mentor, in an independent research project that has the potential of being published. In my case, I was told that my first-author publication was a deciding factor in my acceptance to graduate school, where I received my Ph.D. in Zoology. It worked out well for me, since it was my experience in this program that fostered my passion to pursue graduate school in the first place.
—Sarah Jane Algar, Costa Rica, Spring 1997
My ACM Costa Rica experience can best be summed up as inspirational. It was the first time I truly felt useful as a researcher, carrying out research that was bigger than me but somehow, made better by my hard work and by that of my team members. Also, I got my first true idea of just how research can go wrong and, in spite of the best-laid plans, can be taken off track by external forces. As a result, I learned the best lesson of social research- what I want to learn and what others want to teach me are often two different things, and the only way to make the best of it is to change my perspective, not that of those who are being kind enough to share their lives with me. The ACM Field Research Program is the only one I know of that truly challenges its students, and I managed to love every second of it.
—Stephanie Jaros, Research Coordinator at Stanford University's Bipolar Disorders Clinic, Costa Rica, Spring 1998
The ACM Costa Rica Field Research program has had a profound effect on my career. The research I did in Costa Rica served as the basis for my undergraduate honors thesis and helped me decide to pursue a career in academic medicine. My language training has allowed me to continue to serve Spanish-speaking patients here in the U.S. throughout medical school, residency, and as a faculty member now at the University of North Carolina.
—Michael Pignone, Asst. Professor of Medicine and Medical Researcher, University of North Carolina, Costa Rica, Spring 1987
As a youngish college student with no international experience and a poor track record in Spanish class, I signed up for an ACM semester in Costa Rica eager for a vaguely alien adventure to broaden my horizons. The ACM spring semester program in Costa Rica is unique in that it gives students like me ample freedom to explore a new country on our own terms, while still demanding enough structure and self-accountability to ensure that the semester is productive and successful. My experience studying Scarlet Macaw nesting on the Osa Peninsula was foundational to my future: it led to a peer-reviewed publication, and prepared me for three years of public service and science in Belize, Namibia, Colombia, Ecuador, and the Mojave Desert. Now, as a student at University of Michigan, my Spanish language skills and tropical fieldwork experience will again serve me as I pursue a PhD on the evolution of tropical tree communities in Ecuador. Many thanks, ACM.
—John Guittar, Costa Rica, Spring 2006
I consider my experience in Costa Rica as invaluable to my education. Not only did I learn a new language along with a different way of living, but I also got to develop my academic interests on a hands-on level that is unknown to any classroom pedagogy. I consider myself lucky to have spent a semester in Costa Rica with the ACM, and I am positive that the worldly perspectives I gained there will be with me as an asset both professionally and personally long after college is over.
—Pål Robson, Costa Rica, Spring 2009
My ACM Field Research experience in Costa Rica was amazing and unforgettable! I will always appreciate and love the personal relationships I developed with people in the program and the host families. Additionally, this program gave me the invaluable opportunity for professional growth in both a foreign language and independent research. Costa Rica is not only amazingly beautiful and ecologically diverse, but it also has an amazing history and culture. I wish I could go back and study there all over again!
—Lacey Ramirez, Costa Rica, Spring 2004
My abroad experience through the ACM Costa Rica Field Research was phenomenal. The hands-on experience I gained was essential in helping making decisions about my academic focuses at home. I had been unsure if I wanted to pursue Public Health as a major in college. However, after spending a semester doing hands-on research about child obesity, my interests were confirmed. The cultural immersion and language practice from classes, two host families, and two months on my own in the field were also fantastic. Even though I have returned home, I am continuing to work with my advisor in Costa Rica in hopes of compiling my and other students' data into an article ready for publication. I don't know where else you can get an experience like that!
—Jessica Meyer, Costa Rica, Spring 2011
My ACM semester in Costa Rica forever changed me and deepened my understanding of tropical ecology and Latin American society. I enrolled in the semester to fulfill my dream to “be Jane Goodall.” Thanks to the guidance and mentoring of my ACM field biology professor (Dr. Chris Vaughan), I did indeed spend two months studying squirrel monkey behavior. I loved the research, but after witnessing rapid deforestation and uncontrolled tourism development, my career interests shifted. From that semester on, I pursued a career in applied conservation research, mainly in tropical countries.
—Lisa Naughton, Associate Professor, Geography Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Costa Rica, Spring 1984
My experience with the ACM Costa Rica Field Research program was paramount to forming my career interests. The program immersed all of the students, many of us on our first real international experience, into a new and exciting world. It was extremely well-organized and carried out; the staff created an ideal atmosphere for learning and developing, and the Costa Rican families that allowed us into their lives were also extremely supportive. We were allowed time and provided guidance in developing and carrying out our own independent research project, and this for me was a very important achievement. ACM helped me realize that I wanted to attend veterinary school, followed by graduate school; I always look back to ACM as my first step toward a research career.
—Nicole Nemeth, Science Fellow, Wildlife Disease Program, Natl. Wildlife Research Center, USDA/APHIS, Costa Rica, Spring 1994
I considered a number of study abroad programs before choosing ACM, and what appealed to me about the Costa Rica Field Research program was that it allowed me to pursue independent research at a single site over several months, rather than "touring" many sites for just a few days at a time with larger groups of students, as was typical of many other programs. The educational "pay-off" of this approach, both in terms of insights gained from the many hours spent in the field and in terms of the language skills and cultural experiences gained from living in a small, rural community, was huge. My experience in Costa Rica was a strong influence in my decision to pursue a graduate degree in Conservation Biology, and many of the experiences and contacts I made laid the groundwork for future projects in Costa Rica.
—Mark Myers, Associate Professor and head of Ecosytem Studies Program at Northern Iowa University, Costa Rica, Spring 1995
My semesters in Costa Rica with ACM were probably the most formative period in my life. My career as a geographer is largely made possible by perspectives on real life in another country that I gained during that year. The fall Latin American Culture program made me a Latin Americanist and the spring Field Research program made me capable of doing field research. I can't think of another experience, career-wise, that has had a greater influence. I am deeply indebted to my gracious host family for this, as well as to the broader ACM community for maintaining such a rich and stimulating social atmosphere over the years.
—Jacob Brenner, Department of Environmental Studies and Science, Ithaca College, Costa Rica 1999-2000
The ACM Costa Rica field experience was the first point in my development as a tropical field biologist. I first fell in love with the tremendous biological diversity and density of cool critters in the tropical rainforest in Costa Rica during my field project working in the la Reserva Forestal de Rio Macho. Being able to do an independent project in the playground of the tropical forest was perhaps the most exciting time for me as a scientist and a person. Costa Rica offers a wonderful opportunity to learn about biology in the field and the great synergy of the immersion programs of language and culture is what makes this program really stand out.
—David Bickford, Costa Rica, Spring 1990
The semester I spent in the Costa Rica Field Research program turned out to be the most influential experience of my undergraduate education. I received a top-rate research experience at a leatherback sea turtle conservation project on the Caribbean coast, where I developed a project that I would later develop into my senior thesis and publish in a tropical conservation journal. Just as important, however, were the relationships I built with my host families, the Spanish language skills I developed, and the understanding I gained of life in Central America. The incredible job the ACM staff did of combining an intense research and cultural experience is what made my semester both so valuable and unique. As I enter medical school to pursue a career involving global health, the desire to continue working in Latin America that my time in Costa Rica ignited will continue to influence my educational and career goals.
—Matt Spanier, Costa Rica, Spring 2008
My decision to study in Costa Rica proved to be amazing, and the trimester I did there was the best term in my college career! I don't know of any other study abroad program that my school offers where you can do hands-on research under the close supervision of an adviser and receive help from so many other people. Not to mention the invaluable Spanish skills I gained from my class and from the prolonged conversations with my host family members and my "tico" friends. The paper I wrote was already accepted for a presentation at an international conference and has high chances of being published in a scientific journal, which I believe is a great early beginning for my career as a researcher. I am really glad I decided to join this ACM program in this heavenly country!
—Raluca Oprinca, Costa Rica, Spring 2010
During my four months in Costa Rica, I was exposed to and soaked in more culture, language, social nuance, and wildlife than I had thought possible. Every step of the way, the ACM staff and my host families were there to support me in my research, personal growth, and weekend endeavors. The combination of the quality of support and instruction from the ACM staff and the generosity of spirit that pervades Costa Rica made the experience rich and unforgettable.
—Ryan Casserly, Costa Rica, Spring 2008
Living and studying on the ACM Costa Rica Field Research program opened many doors for my future. Professionally, I gained valuable research experience that landed me a research internship at the Smithsonian and eventually a graduate degree. Personally, I gained Spanish language skills and several meaningful relationships that will last a lifetime.
—Mark Bremer, Adjunct Instructor, State Univ. of New York - Institute of Technology & Onondaga C.C., Costa Rica, Spring 2000