Submission Number: 69
Submission ID: 373
Submission UUID: 8f895851-a136-4563-901c-b1ab8839a7f5

Created: Sat, 05/08/2021 - 10:27
Completed: Sat, 05/08/2021 - 10:27
Changed: Mon, 05/05/2025 - 22:35

Remote IP address: 166.216.158.209
Submitted by:Anonymous
Language: English

Is draft: No

Locked: Yes
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Paloma
Peters
She/ her
Portsmouth
New Hampshire
United States
03801
Aerospace engineering
English (5) Spanish (4)
I’m currently living in Puerto Jiménez a small town on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. I’m living here for two months with a local host family. I decided to do this trip because I wanted to become fluent in Spanish and also learn about the culture in Costa Rica. Before coming here I was doing online school and did not feel a passion for what I was doing, so I decided to graduate early and take this trip. The host family that I live with only speaks Spanish, so I’ve been surrounded by the language and have really seen my Spanish skills improve. The other important aspect of this trip for me is to understand the culture of the town I live in. I have done that by working at a local shop in town, becoming friends with locals, and volunteering at the elementary school. My experience here has been filled with challenges, like adjusting to a variety of different foods and customs, and living without internet (I’m currently writing this on my host sisters phone at the restaurant in town that offers free WiFi). However, all of this has made me realize how important it is to learn another culture, and not as a tourist who stays in a fancy hotel, but as a real member of the community. The ability to live with a family and make friends who all have a different outlook on the world is an invaluable opportunity. I have also seen how many challenges people in developing communities face. Like not being able to go to school because it is raining and the students family does not have a car, or having to repeat a year of school because a students family did not have internet connection to get their schoolwork during the pandemic. This experience has undoubtedly led me to be more interested in helping developing communities around the world and understand new cultures. This experience has undoubtedly prepared me to be a member of the Global Engineering RAP and continue to learn and embrace new cultures, while helping these underdeveloped areas.
The person living down the hall from me would be someone with a passion for traveling, learning languages and cultures, and who has a desire to help others. However, they would also be someone who can laugh at themselves when they make mistakes, not judge others, and not take everything serious. Sometimes it is important to laugh off a mistake and move on, not get caught up in the small things. This person who lives down the hall would embody all these values and use those skills to create a community in the Global Engineering RAP where students can feel welcomed and feel like they are making an impact, without being judged for their mistakes.
I want to join this community of engineers, because it is a way to surround myself with people who care about helping others. Being with people who have a passion for using their skills as engineers to help people who are struggling will make me a better person, and push me to have a bigger impact on the lives of others. The Global Engineering RAP will also give me real world experience in my studies as a engineer. Instead of just learning about what engineers do in a classroom, I will be able to go out in the world and practice those skills in actual situations. I can problem solve situations that can not be taught in a classroom and become more well rounded, something that will be essential to being a successful engineer in the future. I also plan to share my love for learning cultures with the other people in the Global Engineering RAP and help others discover that passion in themselves. I am committed to helping other people and I want to be able to live with others who are committed to the same goal.
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