In the summer after my freshman year, I volunteered abroad in San José, Costa Rica, at the National Children's Hospital for two weeks. This hospital, in which only children under the age of twelve are allowed to stay, is viewed as one of the best and most honored in Latin America. Many of the children had very serious illnesses, including cancer, kidney disease, endocrinology issues, and broken limbs that required a long recovery. My volunteer hours were from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and I performed a variety of tasks, including feeding and holding the babies, playing games and communicating with the older children, and assisting doctors and nurses in caring for the patients in any way needed. Most of my time was spent loving and caring for the babies or playing with the toddlers. On the weekends and evenings, I had free time to explore the city along with popular tourist locations, such as the beaches and volcanoes. I stayed with a wonderful host family that made me feel very welcomed as if I was a member of their family for a short amount of time. This meant respecting and learning their ways of life and trying my best to follow their customs. Through these experiences, I discovered and learned about the Costa Rican culture and increased my Spanish language abilities. To earn Honors credit for this experience, I took the independent course of Honors 450 Service Learning. My assignments included a profile sheet describing the Honors competencies I expected to grow in, an institutional essay about the hospital, ten competency journals throughout my two week experience, and a final reflection paper. Completing this work was enjoyable since it comprised of describing my amazing experiences and all the new knowledge I had gained. Having written reflections and evidence of personal growth is also very convenient and a great resource to remind myself how far I have come.
I believe this experience of volunteering abroad helped me to attain significant growth in Knowledge and Understanding, specifically fulfilling Levels 3 and 4. Level 3 consists of “develops and sustains interactions with people from different cultures and demonstrates how these experiences relate to one’s own worldview.” Before arriving in Costa Rica, I had thought of several topics about the Spanish culture that I wanted to learn more about including their religion, economy, government, and traditions. Because I connected so well with my host parents, it was a great opportunity to ask them more complex questions and reflect on their answers. I learned that Christianity is the predominant religion in Costa Rica, and Roman Catholicism is the official state religion. My host parents were practicing Catholics and emphasized through their daily actions the importance of trusting God. The Costa Rica economy relies on the prime industries of pharmaceuticals, software development, and ecotourism. Exportation is also popular in this country with the three main cash crops being bananas, pineapple, and coffee. In regard to government, Costa Rica is very similar to the United States in that it is a republic with three powers: executive, legislative, and judicial. My host parents said they believe this type of government is most successful for their country and they enjoy their democratic power. Finally, I learned many of the practices of this culture including greeting one another with a light kiss on the cheek, habitually arriving late by thirty minutes or more to appointments, dinner, work, etc., and dressing well and appearing clean in all public places. All of this information was learned by talking with my host family and observing the behavior of the Costa Rican citizens. It was incredible to have sustained interactions with those of a different culture both inside and outside the home where I stayed, and it pointed me to the realization that all human beings share the same basic needs and wants and the differences that do exist help create the uniqueness and beauty of life. I believe these encounters truly pushed me in opening my mind to the lives and beliefs of others and growing as a competent global citizen as a result.
Since I spent a significant amount of time at the hospital during my time abroad, I also had the opportunity to learn about Costa Rica’s medical teams, plans of treatment, and prominent diseases. This was very intriguing to me, for the hospital setting in Costa Rica is quite different than the United States. For example, none of the children had their own rooms, but instead six to eight children all resided in one larger room. This took away the privacy and comfort component that is often found in many American hospitals. Although this may be perceived by many individuals of the American culture as a negative or unfortunate thing, the Costa Ricans did not know any different and appreciated each other’s company and not having to suffer alone. One of my biggest takeaways from this experience was that although the medical setting in Costa Rica is not as modernized as I am accustomed to seeing and experiencing, the patients were all being well cared for and loved deeply, which resulted in joy and peace amidst their pain. It can be difficult to realize the power my culture has in many different aspects, including healthcare, and how often it is taken for granted. I think it is important to be modest in our opportunities and advantages, especially when meeting those who do not have the same experiences, for it shows respect and allows for sympathy. My ideas and experiences with regard to the hospital can be found in my competency journals and final project attached below.
Because of my experiences in Costa Rica and taking the time to reflect on what I have learned and comparing the knowledge gained to my own culture, I have met Level 4 of Knowledge and Understanding, “formulates a philosophy of global citizenship by evaluating complex cultural practices, products, and perspectives.” My global citizenship philosophy is as follows: I will keep an open mind and respect all cultures, remembering there is more than one acceptable system of beliefs and ways of life and none are more right than the others. I will seek interactions with diverse individuals to learn more about who they are as human beings and gain insight into myself as well. I will continue to act on my love for exploring through traveling to different countries and immersing myself completely in their culture. Above all, I will appreciate the diversity of life and the beauty it gives to this world.
Another area of global citizenship where I experienced growth is Communication. Level 3 of this theme is “creates communication that is culturally appropriate in the target language in familiar and a limited number of unfamiliar situations,” while Level 4 is “converses with others from the target culture in a variety of familiar and unfamiliar situations.” These levels were achieved by essentially being forced to speak the Spanish language since few individuals in this country knew English. I was immersed in an environment where I had to practice the language and accept failure in my abilities quite frequently. Thankfully, my host family and many individuals I interacted with spoke slowly and clearly so I could understand what they were saying, and I think this demonstrates their kindness and patience in those who may not be great at communicating in their language. I feel like this is lacking within the United States, for I see many individuals get upset when others cannot speak English well. I believe this goes back to power, for individuals of the American culture often view themselves, their practices, and language as superior. In reality, all languages and cultures are valuable and needed for a diverse world to exist. Through my language experience, I realized that in order to understand a culture, one needs to understand the language to be aware of the conversations taking place and have interactions with others on a deeper level. For example, there were several times in the hospital where a young child, who was also just learning their language, was asking me to do something for them, but I could not understand what they were communicating, so therefore failed in meeting their needs. This shows the importance of language to be able to successfully interact and provide for one another. Learning and practicing a second language has increased my abilities to focus and be adaptable in different situations, which will have lasting effects in my career as a physical therapist. I believe it is important to continue to practice my Spanish skills so that what I have learned will not go to waste and I can continue to communicate with diverse individuals in their own language to show I value a large component of their culture and identity.
My final project, shown in the document below, describes my learning and experiences through being in Costa Rica and spending the majority of my time at the hospital with children and at home with my wonderful host family. The highlights of my experience, some challenges faced, information learned about the culture, and connections to other areas of my life are all included in this meta-reflection. Writing this paper helped me to put my trip together in some last few words and reflect on how meaningful it truly was for me. Volunteering at the National Children's Hospital in Costa Rica was a life changing experience that I plan to share with others for the rest of my life to teach them the importance of appreciating and respecting other cultures and ways of life.