Remembering Cost Rica - Farin Kautz's Account of his Time at LIU's Global College this Summer

In July of 2011, I spent the summer studying abroad in Costa Rica. Through the Honors department at Kingsborough Community College, I was offered the DeWitt Wallace grant, a scholarship that would help pay for the majority of my trip. The opportunity was one that I could not turn down, and has since been one that I will never forget. A total of eight students participated in the trip, two of us from Kingsborough, four from LIU, and two from Queensborough.Together we studied Sociology in the Communities of La Carpio, Sarapaquii, Santa Ana, Manzenillo, up and down the east coast of the country, and in San Jose.
This course, Sociology of Cultural Development, was one in which I was blessed to have two outstanding professors, Gail Nystrom & Ilianna Moralles. Our classes consisted of studying the roots and effects of poverty, the influence of international corporations on indigenous and nationally owned lands, the culture of the indigenous and their view on development, and also the ecological and spiritual connection between the individual and the land. These studies were facilitated through on hand experience, countless group discussions (both formal and informal), journal logs, and travels. All of which culminated in the final term paper: “What is Development?”
The second portion of our studies was in La Heredia. At the Global College center, we studied Spanish in unison with the culture of Costa Rica. We were split up into groups, usually of two, depending on our skill in speaking Spanish. Our classes were intensive and fulfilling. Studying almost exclusively with my professor Eric allowed me the opportunity to learn a sizable amount of Spanish in only two weeks. In conjunction with the Spanish classes we were exposed to the culture of Costa Rica. We traveled to a dairy farm just outside Heredia, went to a hilarious play titled “Papa Chullo” in San Jose, visited a mask maker and his shop , and also walked through the city of Heredia on numerous occasions.
Today, I fear that what I took away from these travels is incommunicable. Despite this, I am proud to say that I experienced all that I could while in Costa Rica. Zip lining in Monte Verde, hiking with the indigenous chief Tim Mateo, dancing awfully to Costa Rica’s most famous band Malpais, and seeing the country side of Costa Rica, have all made an unprecedented impact upon my life. My time there now exists as one of my favorite chapters in my life and I fully intend on going back to visit all the amazing individuals I met along the way.