Ecuador: Arianna Barajas
Program: Ceiba Tropical Conservation Semester: Galapagos, Andes and Amazon, Spring
Arianna’s Major: Wildlife Ecology
Describe your internship, research, or fieldwork and how the experience helped advance your career or academic studies.
My internship experience was at La Hesperia Cloud Forest Reserve. Here, I did manual labor, worked on research projects, and created maps using ArcGIS Pro. In the amazon, we conducted group research projects. We focused on frog research. Then, generally, the program had field activities and projects. All of these experiences helped me advance in my career and studies. I gained valuable knowledge in field techniques, important software such as ArcGIS, the research process, and more. This will aid me as I look to find employment in the conservation field.
What is your most memorable experience from your program?
My most memorable experience from the program was exploring the Galapagos Islands on a boat. It was amazing getting to see the different terrain, fauna, and vegetation of each island.
All of these experiences helped me advance in my career and studies. I gained valuable knowledge in field techniques, important software such as ArcGIS, the research process, and more.
What challenges or barriers did you face during your time abroad? How did you work through them?
My largest barrier was missing home. I have never been away from home longer than 1 month. It was definitely difficult but I found my classmates to be a valuable resource. Creating connections on this trip is extremely valuable to help with issues such as homesickness.
What is the moment you are most proud of?
The moment I am most proud of was presenting my research project to my professors and fellow classmates. I felt proud being able to demonstrate my capabilities as a young researcher. I was also very passionate in what I was researching so I was happy to share my work with others.
How did your identities impact your experience? What advice would you give to students with similar identities who are considering a similar experience?
I felt that being Latine enhanced my experience. Growing up speaking Spanish I did not struggle with communicating. Additionally, I was able to compare my cultural traditions from Mexico to the ones in Ecuador. Overall, I highly recommend Latine students come on this trip.