SHU Hosts Students from Costa Rican Engineering College
Visitors immerse themselves in American culture, learn media arts skills and more
Sacred Heart University’s office of community engagement hosted 11 students from the Institute of Technology of Costa Rica (TEC) for three weeks of lessons and activities designed to help them become global citizens.
The engineering students spent most of their mornings with communications clinical instructor Greg Golda in the Frank and Marisa Martire Center for the Liberal Arts, where they learned about film, video, television and podcast production in SHU’s state-of-the-art classrooms and studio spaces. The students, ages 18 to 23, worked with various cameras and created their own media projects. Golda also provided Photoshop tutorials.
“Even though the students are studying engineering, the skills they learned will undoubtedly help them no matter what career path they take,” said Golda, who has worked with TEC cohorts in the past. “It was an incredible three weeks of learning about them and their culture.”
In the afternoons, students visited and volunteered at local nonprofits, such as Hall Neighborhood House and Nourish Bridgeport. “It’s important that students are volunteering,” said Arlete Perez Paez, assistant director of the office of community engagement. “We are breaking the stereotype that all Americans are rich. They can see that people in America need assistance too.”
SHU’s partnership with TEC has existed for a decade. For years, SHU students have been going to Costa Rica for immersion experiences, and every few years, Costa Rican students come to SHU. In March, SHU students visited Limon, Costa Rica, where they worked on rainforest conservation, butterfly and tree frog rehabilitation and youth enrichment activities at local schools.
Annie Wendel, director of the office of community engagement, said the partnership teaches all students involved what it means to be global citizens and global volunteers. The Costa Rican and U.S. students also get to know one another, and they discover they have more in common than they might think, Wendel said.
Visit to SHU was ‘like a dream’
“We’re having a great time. It’s been like a dream, coming here,” said TEC student Luis Gamboa.
Students said they enjoyed their studies, their time at the local nonprofits and the many excursions they took throughout the region. During down time, the group visited Boston, New York City, museums in New Haven and other highlights.
“We are all engineering students,” said Kevin Alanis, a TEC student. “It’s been amazing to learn about this. This is not the focus of my career, but I’ll be able to apply what I’ve learned.”
Other students echoed Alanis’ statement and said they enjoyed the opportunity to be creative. “This is another skill set for me,” said Carlos Cerdas.
The students said they felt comfortable in the classroom and appreciated the University and Golda for the time he devoted to them.
“Students created many projects during their three weeks with me,” Golda said. “On the final day, we went to our newly renovated studio, where students worked on their camera and directing skills. They displayed the websites they developed during class time and detailed their projects in front of a small studio audience, while students inside the control room recorded the presentations of podcasts, posters and videos.”
Golda said the visiting students also sharpened their English language skills during their stay. “We had several great conversations about media ethics and how technology needs to be controlled by conscientious producers,” he said.
Visit SHU’s community engagement webpage to learn more about the TEC partnership.
Photo caption: Above, Tecnológico de Costa Rica student Luis Carlos Gamboa and Sacred Heart University students Christina Massei and Nephi Rene volunteer at CT Food Share in Bridgeport.