Isabel Homsi graduated from Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon and was the recipient of the Houser Scholarship. She is a senior at the University of Vermont with an expected graduation date of May 2025. Her field of study is Environmental Sciences with a minor in Geospatial Technologies and a certificate in Place-Based Education. We asked her recently in our “where are they now” effort to provide a highlight from 2024.
Here is her experience:
My highlight has to be my study abroad experience in Costa Rica! This transformative three-month program focused on sustainable development, tropical ecology, and rural livelihoods. I travelled with a cohort of 24 students from UVM to the Osa Peninsula, which is one of the most biologically diverse places in the world, home to approximately 2.5% of all plant and animal species. We lived, worked, and studied alongside local communities at a sustainable agricultural farm and ecotourism operation. We learned how local politics and ecotourism are leveraged to promote conservation, which is central to Costa Rica’s national values.
We consulted locals, indigenous groups, government representatives, conservation organizations, activist groups, and other perspectives to examine the meaning of “sustainable development”. I had the opportunity to consult with members of the Ngäbe indigenous tribe, design ecological studies in the tropical jungle, hike through Corcovado National Park, kayak through mangroves, watch turtles hatch, prune cacao trees with a machete, and wake up to a chorus of howler monkeys every morning.
These experiences and the connections I made with both my classmates and the locals have shown me the importance of approaching every experience with a growth mindset. I also cultivated a deep appreciation for cross-cultural learning that I will carry with me for life. I owe great thanks to the Multnomah Athletic Foundation and the Houser brothers for supporting my studies at UVM that led me to this invaluable, life-changing experience!
Learn more about the Houser Scholarship Program here