University of Wisconsin–Madison

Costa Rica: Hannah Stahmann

Program: SFS Ecological Resilience Studies, Summer

Hannah’s Major: Environmental Studies

Hannah stands in a field of tropical plants which lead up to a mountain covered in fog.
During one of our educational hikes in the field, we had the opportunity to visit a beautiful volcano that was home to abundant wildlife. We also got to learn about how the volcano fits into the rich history of Costa Rica

What is the moment you are most proud of?

One of my majors is Spanish and I have been struggling to progress in my learning because I have lots of anxiety surrounding speaking with native Spanish speakers. My program does not require you to speak Spanish in order to be involved in the program, so going into the program, I did not think that I would get much practice speaking Spanish while in Costa Rica. I was pleasantly surprised at how willing the professors were to help students practice their Spanish and how much free time we were granted during the program where I was able to speak with employees at restaurants, and post offices, and communicate with taxi drivers and Indigenous leaders. I was proud of myself that I took these opportunities to practice my Spanish speaking skills even though the program was not focused on learning Spanish.

This work has gotten me more interested in sustainable agriculture and has allowed me to gain the knowledge I needed to be ready for the job I currently have working at an organic farm.

What is your most memorable experience from your program?

I would have to say that my most memorable experience from my program was the time that I got to spend with my newfound family that I met at the center. We planned weekend trips in the time we had off from classes, watched movies together, and played tons of games. We all still talk to each other in the group chat that we created to this day! We have even planned trips to travel across the country to visit each other in the near future!

Hannah swings on a wooden swing overlooking fields of trees covered in fog below.
On our program we were given the unique opportunity to visit a lodge in the mountains with beautiful views of the valley below, amazing food, and the chance to study tropical wildlife in the field.

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

On the program, we got the unique opportunity to study sustainable forms of agriculture in Costa Rica and observe how they affected the environment and local economy. We participated in field work where we learned about specifically the how coffee and cacao production is managed sustainably. We learned about Integrative Pest Management and helped a local farmer assess how their crops were being affected by pests. We also got the unique chance to learn how to identify wildlife in tropical ecosystems. This work has gotten me more interested in sustainable agriculture and has allowed me to gain the knowledge I needed to be ready for the job I currently have working at an organic farm.