Through cultural immersion and collaboration with a sustainability nonprofit, I experienced the power of global PR work, where adventure, impact, and education come together.
This May, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Costa Rica as part of a study abroad course led by Debbie Davis, Ed.D., and Eric Rasmussen, Ph.D. The trip wasn’t just about sightseeing or checking a country off my list; it was a life-changing experience that helped me understand the true meaning of cultural immersion and the value of hands-on learning.
Our main project during the trip was to develop a campaign for CIRENAS, a Costa Rica-based organization focused on sustainability, education, and conservation. CIRENAS works to connect people with natural and built environments through experiential learning. Their mission really came to life for me in a powerful way because I didn’t just learn about them from a distance. I lived with them.
We spent three nights at CIRENAS, and during that time, I got to see exactly how their mission plays out in real life. Living there was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Surrounded by tall trees and the sounds of birds and insects, it felt like we were truly part of nature. We slept practically out in the open, with only mosquito nets and simple shelters to protect us. The warm, humid air was constant and intense, making every day a bit of a challenge, but it helped me slow down and focus on the moment. Waking up with the sunrise, taking part in their daily routines, and learning directly from the people who dedicate their lives to this work gave me a deeper understanding of the kind of messaging and communication CIRENAS needs.
During the trip, I also had an allergic reaction that caused my face to swell so much that I was almost unrecognizable. I still don’t know exactly what triggered it, but it didn’t stop me from fully embracing the experience. Instead, it taught me patience and made me appreciate even more the delicate balance of life in the jungle. Creating a campaign for CIRENAS wasn’t just an academic exercise. It was personal because I had walked in their shoes, even if only for a few days.
What made this experience even more meaningful for me was how at home I felt in Costa Rica. As someone with Mexican roots, I immediately recognized similarities in culture, food, language, and overall warmth of the people. That sense of familiarity made it easy to connect, not only with locals, but also with the values that CIRENAS promotes. It felt like an extension of my own culture, which helped me better appreciate the subtle differences and nuances between Costa Rican and Mexican traditions. It also helped me communicate more effectively and respectfully in our campaign work, because I wasn’t coming in as a complete outsider.
Being able to actually travel to Costa Rica and study the culture firsthand was what made the campaign truly come to life. It’s one thing to read about a place or write content based on online research; it’s something entirely different to sit with locals, eat their food, share their stories, and see how their daily lives reflect the values we were trying to communicate. That depth of understanding simply cannot be replicated in a classroom.
This trip didn’t just teach me about Costa Rica it taught me how to apply what I know in a real-world setting. I saw how culture, communication, and community are all intertwined. I came home with insight, a newfound resilience from adapting to life in the jungle, and a whole new way of thinking about global communication.
