My STEP signature project was a 4 weeklong internship program in the small town of Gandoca, Costa Rica. My team of consultants helped a small business owner to establish her chocolate business. We were able to accomplish this by creating a website and social media pages, as well as providing research about potential grants and distribution channels.

This project changed my assumptions about the world because it introduced me to an entirely new culture and way of living that I had never previously experienced. Because the village of Gandoca was so small with only about 600 inhabitants, everyone was like family to one another. The people had a deep respect for one another and were willing to help anyone in need without question. Another aspect about the village being so remote was that it was not easy for them to access resources that we have easily available here in the United States. Things such as being five minutes away from the nearest grocery store or gas station are not even close to reality for those living in Gandoca. Because they are so remote, they only make a trip into town to buy things such as sugar and flour from the store about once a month. Everything else they need is grown themselves or bought from someone in the village. This has taught me how possible it is to live a much more sustainable lifestyle and opened my eyes to how much waste I generate in my day-to-day life.

The thing that was most impactful to me during my STEP project were the relationships I was able to form even with my time being spent there being so short. The woman who owned our small business was amazing and so inspirational. She was a single mother who decide to start her own business to help provide for her family during the Covid-19 pandemic. Even with resources such as Wi-Fi being very limited to her, she was able to do the research necessary to learn how to make delicious chocolate from scratch in a way that was conducive to larger-scale production.

Another relationship I formed was with the man who owned our place of residence during our time in Costa Rica. Besides owning and operating the place we stayed — Casa Tucan Tranquilo — he also ran a successful sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation effort. We were able to watch his help two sea turtles lay their eggs, and then rehome the eggs to a location where they would be safe from poachers and have the best chance of survival. Seeing how passionate he was about his work and about helping a species who was unable to protect itself from the dangers of humans was amazing, and something I will never forget. I will take with me the deep respect he had for the environment, and all of the creatures within it, and will do more to advocate for those species who are in danger of going extinct.

Finally, the relationships I formed with the other Ohio State students on the trip was extremely impactful to me. Before taking off for Costa Rica, I had only formed very superficial relationships with the other eleven students on the trip through the projects we were required to do before takeoff. However, with all of the amazing activities we were doing with one another and the once-in-a-lifetime experiences we were having as a group, we quickly bonded. We were able to work together as a team to accomplish things that I would never have been able to do on my own. I learned what working in a successful group where each person likes and respects each other and has something unique to contribute looks like and this is something that I hope to experience again in my future workplaces.

My experiences in Costa Rica have truly changed my life for the better. My perspective of the world is broadened after learning about an entirely new culture and way of life that has such a unique way of prioritizing respect for one another and the world around us that provides us with the necessities we need to live. Additionally, I gained valuable insight on how beneficial it is to bond with the members of your team to be successful. I learned valuable business skills about marketing for a company and creating a vision for a brand that I will use when applying for future careers. However, overall, the relationships I formed along the way taught me the most valuable skills that have helped me to become a better version of myself. As sustainability continues to become a more pressing issue, having this experience to help me understand the value of living a low waste lifestyle and being conscientious of how my actions affect the world around me is beneficial to my personal life, but also to my future career as I will have the knowledge necessary to advice my future company on why they should make their practices more sustainable.