Graduate Portfolio
Costa Rica
Costa Rica was an amazing trip. It was the first out of country school trip I had been on and that made me a little nervous but it was incredible. We learned so much about the culture of Costa Rica by staying at the Bri Bri and visiting the fincas but we also learned a lot while staying at Earth University.
Staying with the Bri Bri and getting to experience the daily lives of a finca family was very eye-opening. We were able to see, first hand, the culture and the people of Costa Rica. They were all so welcoming and so content with their lives it made me truly value mine. It was very cool getting to interact with a native of Costa Rica. We got to go on this huge hike with our finca and he told us all about his land and how he makes his money and everything about his surroundings. It was really nice getting to know him and his wife. And the Bri Bri were incredible also. It was an experience not many people get and I am very thankful we got to stay with them. It was interesting to not only meet and interact with people who fincas but also to meet an native tribe of Costa Rica. Another interesting thing was when we went to Earth University and learned all about waste management and sustainable uses of resources.
I loved every part of the Costa Rica trip, especially meeting Costa Rican natives and experiencing their culture. It was also really nice to do some community service for them. It was nice to feel like we were giving back to someone who needed and someone who was kind enough to let us intrude on their daily lives.
New Orleans
New Orleans was a fascinating trip. I really enjoyed the documentary project, I think it made us really dive into the culture and people of New Orleans. Having our trip based around the project made it easier to work up courage to question and talk to people about their views.
My documentary topic was Creole and my group came up with three questions that we wanted to ask natives of New Orleans. These questions that we were required to frame seemed like a burden at first but then I realized it was a way to interact with the people of New Orleans and see their perspective on a topic that is very close to home for them. In the process of making the documentary we came across many interesting people who gave us the real look at the culture and feel of New Orleans. I think New Orleans was a wonderful city to go to. So much of AGS is globally focused and New Orleans is such a melting pot of cultures and people. It was the perfect place to have AGS students research and create documentaries based on topics specific to New Orleans. New Orleans has such a rich history that is very much related to the world. By being able to make our own documentary it helped us be in charge of what we were learning and helping us recognize perspectives and understand New Orleans.
I also loved volunteering with the hurricane victims. The large group I was in was in charge of painting a woman's house and doing yard work. She was a single mother with two kids and just seeing how joyful she was while we worked made me realize just how important community service is. It felt really nice to be helping someone who really needed it and who greatly appreciated it.
