Studying Abroad in Costa Rica

By Veronica Johnson

On my Interview Day, the Gatton staff and some current students lead a panel about coursework and Study Abroad at the Academy. At this point, I already knew that I wanted to go to Gatton, but this was the icing on the cake. I applied to the Costa Rica trip because I thought that I would enjoy traveling around and taking a Biodiversity course. That was the understatement of a lifetime.

I had the time of my life in Costa Rica. Every location housed a new set of thrills. At the Goldring-Gund Field Station, I got to hold baby leatherback sea turtles as soon as they hatched from their nest and release them into the ocean in the hopes that they will grow to maturity and return to the same beach to make their own nest.

At Cloudbridge Nature Reserve, I got to do research on butterfly diversity. I loved spending my days wandering the rainforest looking for butterflies. The beauty of these butterflies is unparalleled by those we have in Kentucky. At Poor Man’s Paradise, I got to go snorkeling where I saw whole schools of fish swimming together, tiny jellyfish, and even a sea turtle. We would step outside our cabins only to see a family of Capuchin monkeys swinging through the trees.

I became passionate about the environment and very interested in studying Biodiversity and Environment. Studying abroad in Costa Rica probably changed the course of my life because it gave me the opportunity to find something that I love doing. It opened my eyes to the possibility of a career that I had never considered before.