University of Wisconsin–Madison

Costa Rica: Emelia Rogers

Program: UW Banking Animal Biodiversity in Costa Rica, Spring Break

Emelia’s Majors: Biology, Anthropology

Emelia stands in front of a sign next to a river that says "Danger Crocodiles" in both English and Spanish.
Emelia next to a sign warning about the dangerous crocodiles that can be found in the river the group will be boating down.

What is your advice for someone considering your program?

Do it. It is super wonderful, you see so much nature. Take advantage of every opportunity you possibly can.

I learned that I am stronger than I think I am, and that I really love studying the beauty of the natural world in the field.

What challenges or barriers did you face as you prepared to go abroad and/or during your time abroad? How did you work through them?

One of the main barriers I faced was cost. I covered the bulk of the program cost through wonderful scholarships, but was left having to pay for my flight and about $500 of the program. I worked full time over winter break and was able to afford the cost, very luckily.

Emilia stands next to a handwritten poster clipped onto a whiteboard.
Emelia next to the poster her research group created about frogs and their conservation at each of the research stations we visited.

Describe your internship, research, or fieldwork and how the experience helped advance your career or studies.

Our research/fieldwork consisted of participating in measuring the diameters of set trees to calculate how much carbon they uptake. We also completed a research project of our choosing, which gave us a deeper understanding of a specific area of Costa Rican culture or biology. These experiences reaffirmed that I want to study conservation biology, and that I would like to study herpetofauna.

How were your program academics similar or different from taking classes at UW-Madison?

The academics were different in that they were not as structured as most classes here at UW. I felt like I was always learning and observing new things. On the program we also learned from many different professionals in a variety of careers, all sharing their knowledge of biodiversity and conservation – which provided us with a broader spectrum of viewpoints than we may otherwise get at UW.