Author: Mia Casas

Location: Santo Domingo, Costa Rica

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

If you are thinking about studying abroad at Valparaiso’s Study Center in Costa Rica, here’s a detailed guide that outlines everything from class structures, internship options, housing accommodations, and other notes that may help you in your decision to study abroad in Costa Rica. Originally, I wanted to answer these questions all in one document, but I realized there’s just so much that it would be better to split up the topic into two parts — academics and recreation.

What is a study center?

A Valpo study center provides more resources to students during their time abroad. A defining characteristic is a local, on-sight Valpo director who works one-on-one with students to provide classroom instruction, group excursions, local directions, etc. If there is anything else you may need help with, you will always have someone easily accessible to ask. Included with the cost of the study center fee are housing arrangements, whether it be in a homestay or residence hall. For Costa Rica, students do live with a host family, and typically there are other students from Valpo that will form your entire cohort. More information about the different study abroad programs available at Valpo can be found here.

What classes do you take in Costa Rica?

Everyone is automatically enrolled in three classes:

• Spanish Grammar class
• Spanish Conversation class
• Ethnology and History of Costa Rica

Before you enroll for your Spanish classes you will complete a placement exam to determine your level of Spanish. The levels are assessed as A, B, or C; A being the beginner level and C being the most advanced level. From there, each section is split into section 1 and section 2, the latter being the more advanced course. Truthfully, your performance on the placement exam does matter, but the number of students available for each class session plays an important role for the university. I say this because, for our group, we were all placed either in B1 or B2 and no C level classes were offered, initially. This also means that you may be in a course where each students’ Spanish-speaking capabilities vary, but regardless we were all placed in the same class for the sake of class availability. Once you start classes you will realize that the class size is very small, approximately 10 students or less, so it is a good environment to ask a lot of questions.

The structure of the classes is designed to be an intensive course. You will take both Spanish classes at the same time, starting at 8 am and finishing just before 1pm, for four weeks. Between classes you have a 30-minute break. This may not sound too bad, but you may find yourself waking up as early as 5:30 am so you can catch the 6:40 am bus to UCR. But, after just four weeks you will have earned 6 credits of Spanish! Another unique thing is that this Spanish class is exclusive to foreign students, so you have the chance to meet people from different parts of the world and even form friendships.

For the other course, you study with Heidi Michelsen at Casa Adobe, Valparaiso’s Study Center (also known as the Praxis Center). You begin this course as soon as you arrive to Costa Rica, and it lasts for 9 weeks. The first four weeks are intense because you meet almost everyday for almost the whole day. The good thing is that the topics of the course are interesting, Heidi frequently invites guest speakers, and group excursions are built into the curriculum. Then, on the fifth week the cohort does a study tour. This year we went to Panama, in previous years students travelled to Nicaragua, but, since last year, it has been too dangerous to travel there. Heidi intentionally designs the program so that students are exposed to various walks of life — from urban life, to rural life, to indigenous life. So, just as you will do in Costa Rica, you will experience different lifestyles in Panama. Once you return to Santa Rosa, you will start your Spanish classes. At this time, you will meet less frequently for Heidi’s class, typically just once a week. After the first 9 weeks, students typically begin an internship, but there are other options available, as well.

Interested in other miscellaneous class work? Heidi does her best to arrange whatever classes you may need to take abroad, and each member of my cohort has taken various elective courses. Two of my classmates enrolled in a Theology course about ethics at La Universidad Bíblica Latinoamericana, which is a theology course purely in Spanish. The course lasts 15 weeks, spanning the entire length of our program, and ends in December. They meet for a few hours in the evening only once a week. My other classmate decided to forfeit doing an internship and continue taking classes at UCR. He was initially placed in B1 and has progressed into the C1 course. He is also taking another class with Heidi about the Sociology of Healthcare in the evenings once a week. As for me, after classes at UCR I began a 3-week course on Central American literature with Latin American Studies Program, a study abroad program for various Christian colleges in the US. I am also completing an independent study course on Liberation Theology with Heidi, and an independent study for my International Economics and Cultural Affairs Senior Seminar with my professor at VU. Don’t worry about buying any textbooks for any of these classes. As far as I could tell, all the materials are provided for students.

What are the internships like?

After the first 9 weeks, students typically begin working with an internship of their choice. Most are business related or medical related. I’ve included a link to the list of internships available as of August 2019. If you have a clear idea of where you would like to work, talk to Heidi so she can help you. We always joke around that Heidi has connections everywhere, and it’s true.

Veronica Campell has worked in the neighborhood of La Carpio, a marginalized community of predominantly Nicaraguan refugees and migrants, translating locals’ stories into a book that recounts monumental moments of community members.

In general, I would say your internship is what you make out of it. The work culture is very different here, so it probably won’t match your expectations of a typical internship, based on US standards. For one, ticos (Costa Ricans) have a different concept of an internship than we do, that is to say, they don’t often employ interns. So when you arrive, you will have more personal responsibility and liberty to outline what projects you choose to participate in at your internship. While there, you may also realize that the work environment is more relaxed, and it may feel like you have a lot of down time. Use this time to talk with your peers and/or supervisors and learn more about the company culture and Costa Rican culture, in general.

Veronica works alongside The Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation, which offers a variety of community enrichment programs.

A lot of this information will be explained by the Study Abroad Office and/or Heidi Michelsen, the Costa Rica program director. However, I hope it helps having the details provided here for you to read thoroughly. I based these questions on some things I had wondered before going to Costa Rica, so hopefully this clears up any doubts! If you ever have a question in the future, I’d be happy to answer any of your questions via email at mia.casas@valpo.edu

The international Spanish students took a field trip with their UCR Spanish professors to breakfast and the Jade Museum.

Veronica and I befriended students from the Netherlands and Norway, and have enjoyed going out for dinner, going to the theater, and getting to know Costa Rica together.

Author: Mia Casas

Location: Bocas del Toro, Panama

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

The next destination of our study tour, following our stop in Panama City was an indigenous community near Bocas del Toro, Panama. Although we slept most of the day when we initially arrived, this trip was by far one of my favorite adventures. We arrived at the Bongic indigenous community early in the morning, after an exhausting 12-hour bus ride from Panama City. Even after we arrived at the bus stop in Bocas del Toro, we still had to drive an additional thirty minutes (maybe even more) to this community. I expected to be in a remote location, very far and distinct from the city life.

Students crossed the Teribe River to the Parque Internacional La Amistad.

My expectations were partially true. The Bongic community was once very secluded from the rest of the country. Up until recently, there was no road from Bocas del Toro to the indigenous people. Before the only way to access the community was by boat. Given this limited accessibility, the community is strongly characterized as self-reliant. For food, the community raises its own plants and modest livestock. It is very normal to see roosters and hens roaming throughout their neighborhood. They also constructed their own homes and other living spaces. Although these buildings were by no means luxurious, they were beautiful. The gardens, the landscape, and the livestock all created a harmonious living space. 

Bienvenidos. A warm welcome to the Bongic Community.

Our hosts prepared a total of four meals for us, which featured typical foods such as yuca or heart of palm. There were certainly some other things that I was not familiar with. Curiously, all of our meals were served on a plate or bowl, but also with a piece of leaf in between the plate and our food. The meals they prepared us demonstrated the generosity of the people. I could see how limited their supply of meat was, for example, yet they still chose to serve us meat. 

You can observe a typical meal prepared by the host, with small portions of hearty food served atop a piece of banana leaf.

Following our dinner, the children prepared a number of songs and dances for us. Then, the women told us stories about the community. I was particularly impressed with their story regarding how they founded a local indigenous women’s organization in 2010 called Organización de Mujeres Unidas Bonyic, which consists of 13 women and one male. Their organization is primarily responsible for the educational tourism that the Naso people have begun. This group of women petitioned funds from the government, affording them access to building materials to begin their project. Ultimately they constructed the Hostal Posada Media Luna, where we lodged.

The Hostal Posada Media Luna can house up to 12 visitors at a time.

This group of women shared an impressive story of empowerment and triumph. Although they lacked formal education, they composed a compelling grant superior to other applicants. In this grant, they needed to articulate their business plan to develop their community through mediums of tourism, ethnobotany, and other indigenous traditions and knowledge. Upon receiving the grant, their next step was to design and architect dormitories and another area to host events. Finally, they realized their plan and worked laboriously to construct these buildings by hand, with very little help from their spouses. This feat highlights their abilities to overcome economic and educational barriers, in addition to personal struggles. They shared that on multiple occasions their homes and livestock had been completely wiped away due to heavy rains and flooding.

Students listened to the women leaders expound on the establishment of their organization Organización de Mujeres Unidas Bonyic.

Due to the hardships the community has faced, the women feel pressed to secure forms of preserving and edifying the livelihood of their community, as they have done with their initial project with Hostal Posada Media Luna. Their organization continues other projects that enriches the lives of its community members on group and individual levels. One organizer had the opportunity to travel to Cuba to attend a business-related workshop. The organization sponsors such events because they aspire to provide better services to their guest, with the aim of benefitting their community, as well. I would have never guessed the accomplishments of these humble women, but now I admire them more than they know. They are full of knowledge and wisdom, and I wish I could have spent more time listening to all of their experiences.

Landscapes of Parque Internacional La Amistad

Author: Mia Casas

Location: Panama City, Panama

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

On Saturday, September 14, our cohort embarked on a trip to Panama City. Not knowing much about Panama, I did not know what to expect from the country. At dinner, one of our guides, Jorge, asked me what I knew about Panama previously. I looked at him with embarrassment, and admitted that I did not know much besides (1) it is home to the Panama Canal, and (2) it was once occupied by the United States. So, he asked me what I thought about Panama, so far. Truthfully, I told him I was surprised to see so many Afro-Latinos in Panama. (Both of our guides that day were Afro-Latinos). Previously, I was under the impression that most Afro-Latinos come from Caribbean countries, like Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

Jorge understood my misconception and shared that he experienced this in the United States before. Once, he lived in the US for about 2 years. He said that many African Americans would look at him crazy when they heard him speak Spanish, and give him a look that said, “How do you know how to speak Spanish?” Meanwhile, fellow Latinos were also astonished and said things to him like, “Who taught you how to speak Spanish?” So, although many, even other Latinos, are surprised by Afro-Latinos, Panamanians seem completely accustomed to the mixture of color that exists within their country.

Jonathan Davis served as one of our tour guides for four days in Panama City. Here he is pictured at Biomuseo, a museum of biodiversity at Panama.

Although within the United States exists a multitude of different cultures and ethnicities, certain environments are not always representative of this diversity. I was surprised to see every color of Panamanians eating at the restaurant. Similar to the United States, Panama has also had a history of racism towards Afro-descendants. We had the opportunity to visit the Afro-Antillean Canal Workers Museum, a place that honors the contributions and hardships of African descendants in the country. As the name of the museum implies, many Afro-descendants, particularly from Jamaica and Barbados, traveled to Panama to work on the construction of the Panama Canal. However, Afro-descendants and other minority groups commonly faced racial discrimination that manifested itself in segregational practices and wage inequalities between black and white workers.

This mural is found right outside the Afro-Antillean Canal Workers Museum, and pays homage to the Afro ancestry of the country.

Many of the Panama Canal laborers stayed in Panama, despite the hardships, due to the lack of employment in their home countries. The museum recognizes individuals’ contributions in the fields of politics, entrepreneurship, sports, civic engagement, arts, and education.  In present day, roughly 15% of Panama’s population are Afro-Panamanian. Some have even become popular figures in United Statesian media. For example, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Tatyana Ali is remembered most for her role as Ashley Banks, a principal family member in the household of Will Smith. Another upcoming star, Tessa Thompson, also has Afro-Panamanian heritage, and is known for her performance as the Valkyrie in the Marvel Comic Universe and earlier performances in the Creed series.

These exhibits highlight Afro-Antillean culture in Panama.

Author: Mia Casas

Location: San José, Costa Rica

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Sadly, exactly two weeks prior to my scheduled departure, I was in an accident that left me with several severe injuries. I fractured my nose, my orbital socket, two fingers, my shoulder, and four ribs. In the process, I punctured my lung, causing it to partially collapse. So I was hospitalized for 5 days, and advised not to fly for at least a month. I was devastated, and couldn’t bear the thought of not going to Costa Rica and trying to register for classes at the main campus. Nonetheless, I needed to inform the Study Abroad office of my change in circumstances and told them I could not participate in the program any longer.

To my surprise, I received an email back from Heidi Michelsen, the Director for the Costa Rica study abroad program, pitching the idea of arriving to Costa Rica at a later date. She wrote to me saying, “We are willing to work with you on other configurations of classes and timelines,” in addition to sending prayers for a speedy recovery. I was overwhelmed by the amount of love and support I received from her to help fulfill my dream of studying in Costa Rica. She offered me support in every way possible, from modified class schedules, homestay accommodations, learning accommodations, and even healthcare accommodations — more help than I ever could have imagined. 

This building is commonly known as Casa Adobe, but also serves as the Praxis Center and Valparaiso Study Center.

Ultimately, we made arrangements for me to arrive about a month into the program, September12 to be exact. I was able to complete online coursework with Heidi and the rest of the cohort for the first four weeks, and arrived just in time to travel with the rest of the cohort for our study tour to Panama and the Caribbean coast. Heidi even helped make arrangements for my mom to travel with me for the first few days. Although I certainly did miss out on some experiences (the cohort has already participated in several other excursions),  Heidi and the rest of my peers went above and beyond to make the most of my situation. I participated in class lectures via video calls, I even attended sessions with guest speakers via video calls, and the group took pictures and recordings of their excursions to share with me. 

Outside the wall enclosing Casa Adobe you will find a number of poetic verses painted for the public.

When we arrive back to San Jose, we will all begin Spanish classes at the University of Costa Rica, and I will resume the rest of the Costa Rica program as normal. I salute the Study Abroad office and Heidi Michelsen for their efforts and concentration in accommodating each student’s specific needs. The level of service Heidi and other staff have demonstrated is not found in every college campus, nor in every office at Valparaiso University. I am grateful for my experience, thus far, and look forward to continuing this experience in Costa Rica.

(left to right) Director Heidi Michelson, student Madeline Brown, Casa Adobe Resident and Valparaiso alumna Hannah Purkey, student Veronica Campbell, student Tate Elie, student Mia Casas, and Praxis Staff Roland Harris enjoy dinner as a cohort.

Author: Katherine Germann

Location: San Jose, Costa Rica

Religion is a part of Costa Rican culture. Although there are many Costa Rican people who are not very religious, many people are religious. I found that most people that I have interacted with in Costa Rica identify as Catholic or Evangelical Christian. The Catholic tradition in Costa Rica is prevalent and rich, which is not surprising because that is the official religion of the country. My host parents are also Catholic. Thus I had the opportunity to see much more of the Catholic tradition (particularly as it is in Costa Rica) than I have ever seen before. As an evangelical Christian, I brought in some of my own ideas about prayer and worship, and some of what I found in the new tradition challenged my own ideas. However, I tried to keep an open mind and understand this unfamiliar side of Christianity. In doing so, I found that, through its unique traditions, Catholic worship has a lot to offer one’s spiritual life. With the following examples, I hope to show how much I could learn from Catholicism and illustrate the importance of encountering religious traditions other than your own.

This is a traditional Catholic image of the Virgin Mary taken at the basilica.

One part of the Catholic tradition in Costa Rica are the Rezo de Niño ceremonies (prayers to the Christ Child). In Catholic homes, the nativity scenes are left out until this ceremony has passed. The host invites friends and family to attend the Rezo de Niño, and an appointed person leads the congregation in a ceremony of prayer and music. This consists of the whole Rosary and Christmas songs, usually lasting about an hour. Afterwards, the host serves food (always including lots of rice) and sometimes there is music and dancing. Through these Rezo de Niños I saw that religious customs are important not only for individuals’ spiritual lives, but they bring families and friends together in a very real way. I observed that the Catholic tradition is much more relaxed and accepting in Costa Rica than I had imagined. There were varying degrees and styles of engagement from the participants: some were very concentrated while others simply waited or watched. It was not a problem to arrive late, and one ceremony even doubled as a birthday party. I felt that the most important part of the experience were the relationships. The traditions within the catholic faith opened up opportunities to celebrate community.

Another part of the Catholic tradition, which at first made me uncomfortable, were the prayers to Mary. As an evangelical Christian, I am only accustomed to prayers that are directly to God, not to any of the Saints. I was afraid to pray to Mary because I did not want to commit the sin of idolatry, and I was not sure if praying to any being other than God would be right.  However, I opened up a conversation with a religious woman about praying to Mary at one of the Rezos that I attended. I learned several things that have increased my respect for Mary and for the catholic custom of praying to Mary. First, she made it clear that Catholics do not worship Mary with the same kind of praise that is reserved for God. Rather, they love and adore her. I was made to see that prayer can mean different things for different people. It can be worship or it can simply be a form of love. Second, the Catholic woman said that they honor Mary with a reverence that comes from her being chosen by God, and because she is the Mother of God (the Christ child). The woman believed that Mary was human, but she is set apart from other humans by God, and through this she deserves our reverence. She gently challenged the lack of attention to Mary and to the Saints within the evangelical tradition. This helped me see my own tradition from a new perspective, and increased my respect for the Catholic attention to the Saints.

Another custom that I had to consider was the effectiveness of the repetition of the Rosary. In my tradition, I usually do not repeat and recite standard prayers. Rather, I think of prayer as an open and genuine communication with God. However, this form of prayer showed an aspect of meditation, which I came to respect more than before. I understand that meditating on the same phrase, over and over, can help train and center one’s attitude and build patience. Catholics show discipline in repeating the Rosary. With this being said, I was still conflicted about the effectiveness of the repeated prayers. Within the Rosary, people beg Mary to bring God’s blessing to them over 50 times. I wondered: If Mary can actually hear and respond to our requests, why bother asking her for the same thing over and over? Wouldn’t this show lack of faith in her response, or at least be annoying to her? I asked one older woman my question, and she gave me a new perspective on the prayer. She said that the phrase is repeated over and over not just to communicate with Mary, but the phrases themselves are a gift to her. The prolonged attention and the prayer itself is an offering to the woman that they honor so much. These experiences allowed me to see prayer from a new perspective, and I realized that my idea and use of prayer is not the only way that prayer can be used as a spiritual discipline.

One part of my experience of the Catholic tradition relates more specifically to my traveling opportunities. This was our class trip to the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de los Angeles. The basilica is beautiful, and it is built on the spot where the Virgin appeared in person, according to tradition. Underneath the basilica is a place where people leave offerings for the Virgin. There is also a spring where blessed water is said to come out, and there were several people collecting the water into bottles. I was impressed by this display of faith and discipline by the worshipers. However, the most impressive display of discipline were the people who walked on their knees to the high altar. Some people started at the entrance to the long Basilica, others started even farther away. Their knees must have been killing them. Some people, such as my host dad, even walk from far-away cities to make their pilgrimage to the Basilica. (My host dad walked over 50 miles for his pilgrimage.) These are impressive displays of faith and love for the Virgin and God. Although my personal faith experiences do not require grand offerings, do not promote the use of symbols and relics, and do not require pilgrimages to specific Holy Sites, I learned to really appreciate and respect these new types of worship through my travel experience.

This is a photo of me with my classmates (Hannah, Kyra, and Gabby) in front of La Basilica de Los Angeles.

If I hadn’t traveled, I would not have been pushed to experience so much of the Catholic tradition. I also experienced different forms and customs within a church closer to my own tradition by attending the church Oasis de Benedicción. I got to see perspectives from other religions, as well, through conversations with other international students at the University of Costa Rica. Traveling helped me step out of a context that was familiar to me and see spirituality and worship through a different lens. I learned to widen my own perspective on prayer, on Saints, and on religious ceremonies. This helped me gain greater appreciation for different traditions and customs. People can learn so much through travel if only they can be attentive and open to what they encounter abroad.