ECON 301 – Economic Development and Sustainability in Costa Rica (Study Abroad), Winter 2018

This course was definitely different than any course that I have taken before. The online portion of the course was challenging because I had to prepare for my study abroad with the material that was given to us by Dr. Marks while also celebrating winter break and the holidays. Once we got to Costa Rica in January, the learning experience grew as I experienced sustainable tourism firsthand. We took in the numerous sites around Costa Rica from the city square in Alajuela to the Arenal volcano while learning about the benefits of keeping the environment of Costa Rica clean and contributing to the Costa Rican economy. The online and study abroad portions of the course would have been terribly unorganized if it had not been for our fearless leader, Dr. Melanie Marks. She kept the course interesting and adapted to different changes throughout the study abroad portion of the course. Because of Dr. Marks, my first study abroad experience in Costa Rica was a success and I hope to return to the country in the future.

An essay from Unit 2 of the online portion of the course