In grade 11, Manitoba student Jadianne D. travelled with EF Educational Tours to Costa Rica. Little did she know how much the tour would impact her future career path and worldview in such a pivotal way. She recently sat down to reflect on her unforgettable experience.

Jadianne:
I always thought I wanted to be a doctor. This trip made me realize my passion for ecology, and plant and animal biology. I switched gears and pursued a BSc. major in biology with a concentration in ecology and environmental biology in university.

I am now pursuing an environmental law degree in hopes to have an impact in protecting resources and places such as those I visited in Costa Rica with EF.

There was so much to see that it was, at times, difficult to take it all in. But learning to filter what was important was a crucial part of making my EF tour so impactful.

I found this trip to be quite a detail oriented and it forced me to look beyond the big picture. Examples include going on hikes and noticing rare animals like sloths hidden in the trees [and] looking down and paying attention to the carpenter ants at my feet.

I also developed bravery and trust in myself. Lots of the activities we did in Costa Rica were out of my comfort zone. I learned to trust those around me to participate in these once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

The University of Georgia campus in Costa Rica, [where] we spent a good amount of time, reinforced the concept of climate change and how it can impact biodiversity. They held many workshops and [showed] us their innovations such as clean energy generators using bacteria and composting toilets.

This link between biodiversity and climate change has changed my outlook. I always try to make efforts to reduce my footprint, and I very much appreciate the biodiversity of the world in everyday life.