Connected Through Experience
How study abroad helped students discover their own sense of belonging
During a week-long stay in the Costa Rican jungle, seven students from Medicine Hat College (MHC) immersed themselves in the daily life of the BriBri people, returning with a deeper sense of true belonging, community spirit and global connectedness.
Located in the Talamanca Mountain Range, the BriBri are part of Costa Rica’s largest Indigenous community. To preserve their culture and pass it down to new generations, they maintain their traditional way of life in their remote and sustainable village.
Through their experience, the students discovered an understanding, despite differences in language and ways of living, which allowed them to grow deeper connections and create a richer learning experience.
The group included Alex Hammond, a general studies student, working towards a social work diploma; bachelor of education student, Jaxson Jangula; bachelor of science (nursing) students, Samantha Heringer, Alize Stoa, and Shaye Jones; university transfer (science) student, Ian Baumann; and Bree-Ellen Brabrant, a student in the environmental biology and reclamation technology program.
Indigenous culture through the eyes of the BriBri
With a promise to discover a way of life, apart from the comforts students are accustomed to in North America, the Costa Rica study abroad trip allowed learners to parallel the BriBri culture with that of the Indigenous peoples of Canada.
“I come from a little bit of an Indigenous background, so I wanted to kind of explore it a bit,” says Stoa, who’s interest in connecting with her own culture motivated her to apply. “I'm not really close with it but I think it was good to reconnect.”
In preparation for the trip, the students met as a group to establish connections and prepare for their travels together. Through their shared experiences, the students discovered the stark difference between traditional ways of living and their current lifestyles in Canada.
“It was more collective. The BriBri are all close-knit, there aren’t as many individualist views, and they do things for the benefit of their community,” says Baumann, who felt the experience challenged him out of his comfort zone.
Noting a reliance on their surroundings, Hammond was encouraged by how their environment informed the daily life and culture of the BriBri community.
“The resources they have really shape their world view and their values,” says Hammond, who recalls the spiritual importance of cacao and other medicinal plants. “That was very interesting to see how certain resources in an area are directly tied to the culture and their world view.
In Canada, First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples, often use plants, such as sage and sweetgrass, in ceremony. The uses of these native plants in both cultures are used to encourage community to come together and connect with their higher power.
Hammond was also inspired by the importance of connecting to community and identity, which is prevalent in Costa Rica.
“It opened my mind to different world views, and I was super curious,” says Hammond. “There are parallels between [our cultures] not feeling like they belong, an unknown sense of identity and how important it is to reach out and connect to other people.”
Discovering a community of their own
Recognizing this desire for connection as human nature, the students began to build a community of their own.
“For one week we slept in really tight quarters and ate every meal together,” says Jangula. “I felt like being there opened the door to grow closely with the people that I went with. I have friends that I've had for years that I'm not as close with, in comparison to the people that I spent a week with in Costa Rica.”
Common experiences, such as hiking through the jungle, watching the sunset, and discovering wildlife together, allowed the students to foster a sense of belonging, while embracing their different interests and backgrounds.
“I felt like it was the first real feeling of being unconditionally accepted into a group,” says Hammond. “We were one cohesive whole and there was a deep connectedness.”
Learning that shapes a career
Reflecting on their memories together, the students each shared how the experience influenced them as students and their future careers.
Jones notes, as she completes her education in nursing, she will do so with curiosity and openness.
“You have to be so open-minded because you don't know what anyone's been through in the past,” says Jones. “I think it’s really important to have no judgements towards people because you genuinely can't ever know everything.”
As a future teacher, Jangula agrees that his newfound understanding of people will be beneficial throughout his career.
“I've built humanity for others and empathy. Whether it be in my career or my personal life, whatever person is put in front of me, I will seek understanding, see them as a human, and try to understand.”
For the past three years, many study abroad opportunities were funded by Global Skills Opportunities (GSO), providing students with opportunities to explore countries including Costa Rica, Japan, South Korea, and India. To learn more about upcoming experiences, email goabroad@mhc.ab.ca.