Since 2017, Muhlenberg athletes have shared with us their summer experiences on campus, in their hometowns, across the country and even around the world.

Summer Check-In 2023 kicks off with three Mules who traveled to Costa Rica for two weeks at the end of the Spring 2023 semester through the Muhlenberg Integrated Learning Abroad course.

The catalog description for the course SUS350 - Community Sustainability in Costa Rica is as follows: Students explore solutions to complex community problems related to sustainability in Costa Rica. During the spring semester students develop projects and prepare for the two-week study/research/travel experience to Costa Rica at the end of May. Preparation includes study of the area's ecological diversity; political, cultural, and social issues; research skills; and service in the Allentown Community. In Costa Rica students explore a variety of habitats, live in and interact with members of a small town, and conduct both community service and independent research projects. Research projects focus on ecology, sociology, culture, sustainability, and public health of the region. One objective is to remove the blinders of specific discipline-based learning and our own culture to enable us to develop sustainable solutions.

Here is how the three student-athletes - Natasha Furyk (field hockey/track and field), Samantha Winegard (softball) and Mikayla DeMichele (field hockey/track and field) - described the experience:

What made you decide to go on this trip?
SW: I decided to go on this trip because I love to experience different cultures. I knew that this course would provide me with an authentic sense of culture since we would be staying at a community center in the small town of Las Juntas.

MD: My older field hockey teammates told me about this trip and how great of an experience it was, so I looked into it and decided I wanted to go too. I have heard so many great things about this class/trip and knew I would really enjoy it.

What was your favorite part of the trip?
SW: My favorite part of this trip was hiking through Monteverde. The people of Costa Rica appreciate and respect the nature they live in.  While roaming around you can tell that they have lots of pride in the beauty of their environment and all the creatures in it.

NF: This is a difficult one. There were so many amazing experiences we shared together and new friendships that were made. I think one of my top favorites would be the basketball game we played in together or when we went to the waterfall! Both were super fun!! 

MD: My favorite part of the trip was the sightseeing. Whether it was during a hike, bus ride or horseback riding, there was always something special/mesmerizing to see, especially the birds, mines, clouds and sunsets. I really appreciated the daily itinerary that the class followed and how everything, from where we ate to what attractions we saw, was all planned out for us.

How were you challenged while you were in Costa Rica, and how were you able to overcome those challenges?
NF: The trip altogether was definitely out of my comfort zone. We had to quickly adjust to living in a small space with a lot of people in not the most comfortable conditions, but looking back I am very grateful for the experience and the lessons it taught me in being flexible and learning to just "go with the flow" and handle the situation I was in. Having teammates and other athletes with me made it easier. It was like having a piece of home with me in this other country. 

SW: Nothing can prepare you for the bugs, especially the spiders. However, I was able to overcome my fears and become acquainted with them. Many of the locals expressed the importance of spiders in our ecosystem, so I knew that I should respect them.

MD: I was personally challenged in Costa Rica because I was diagnosed with mono a week before we left and I had to go to the hospital during the trip because, as I found out later, I had pneumonia. All things considered, Carlos, Elieth and my professors made me feel as comfortable as possible in such a foreign situation and really gave me endless support and guidance throughout that time. Despite this, I was still able to participate in the hikes, horseback riding and more and am so grateful I was able to make those memories. Additionally, I was able to see private health care up close and personal in Costa Rica, which I found to be pretty cool.

What kind of impact do you think your research will have on the people you interacted with?
MD: My group researched public health, and I looked more specifically at mental health in Las Juntas. I think the questions I asked about the stigma of mental health will leave an impact on my interviewees because some may have not realized that there existed a stigma in their community in the first place, and the interview made them think more about it. It is interesting to get professionals to open up about their opinions of mental health and the resources they believe are available/readily accessible for those in need.

NF: I hope the research that I conducted can help continued research into safer pesticides that are still effective and improve not only crops, but all the bee populations in Costa Rica. 

SW: While in Las Juntas I researched a new topic, climate anxiety. I spoke with medical professionals who did not recognize this as a mental illness. However, by making them aware of the emergence of this topic it may influence how they treat patients that are directly faced with climate change. 

Summer Check-In resumes in earnest on Monday, July 10! Doing something interesting or unusual this summer or know of a Muhlenberg student-athlete who is? Fill out this form to be included in our Summer Check-In series!