Dayton Engineer

By Alexandria Ford '26

First-year engineering students have the opportunity to participate in the Costa Rica Immersion Program with their classmates and professors during Spring Break. This program provides an impressionable experience for students to engage with real-world applications of their academic studies while exploring one of the world's leaders in sustainability. 

As students grow in cultural engagement, they gain a comprehensive understanding of Costa Rica’s commitment to renewable energy. This program offers students an opportunity to experience sustainability in action, integrated into all industries and daily life. Students visit key projects, including the Celsia Wind Turbine, Los Negros Hydroelectric Plant and Miravalles Geothermal Power Plant.

The itinerary includes engaging in innovative sustainability practices across various industries, along with cultural and recreational activities such as hiking Arenal Volcano, exploring the Cloud Forest and visiting a wildlife sanctuary.

For students, the Costa Rica program offers a compelling opportunity to see the world from a new lens, while recognizing the shared responsibility of protecting the environment. 

Senior mechanical engineering student Liesl Carter speaks highly of her experience as a first-year in Costa Rica. This program gave her the confidence to explore a new country and culture. This experience reaffirmed to Carter that she was in an inspiring environment at UD, surrounded by individuals who shared her curiosity and enthusiasm for inquiry. Carter recalls enjoying the social justice element of the program, instilling the values of inclusive community as UD students encounter a new culture abroad. 

“Cultural immersions are not a one way street,” Carter said. “It’s an opportunity to learn about culture and build community around us.”

Second-year mechanical engineering technology student Zachary O'Connor, reflects on his memorable immersion experience last Spring.

“Diverse perspectives lead to differing opinions, and these differing outlooks illuminate new dimensions of our world we otherwise wouldn't have recognized,” O’Connor said. 

This formative experience has instilled friendships and communities both in Costa Rica and back home in Dayton. 

Carter and O’Connor are among many UD students who are part of the close-knit cohorts from the program. Students develop close relationships with their peers who accompanied them on the trip, highlighting the immersive nature of the experience. The current senior cohort intentionally fosters connections by hosting an annual cookout, a tradition that now includes all program cohorts and faculty members. This dedication to maintaining relationships enriches their own experience and strengthens the sense of community among their peers. 

“When you have travel experience and we are in a new space, it helps us grow together as engineers and as people,” Carter said. 

Reflecting on her experience, Carter shares this program has given her a sense of hope she now carries with her every day. She believes everyone has a role in contributing to solutions for a more sustainable world. 

“In a world that is focused on the negatives, there is hope,” Carter said. 

O’Connor believes sustainability may be a catalyst for community-oriented change. The Costa Rica immersion program offers the opportunity to expand students’ worldview. As he continues his second-year, O’Connor is involved in efforts with the UD Center for Social Concern. Through such efforts, he is able to pursue collaborative experiences with his passion for uplifting the common good. 

“We can strengthen our community by strengthening a commitment to sustainable practices,” said O’Connor. 

From this trip, students establish connections and transformative lessons to carry with them for the rest of their lives. For Carter, this program has guided her to discover a vocation in travel and service abroad.

She has gone on to pursue a semester abroad in Madrid, Spain and a summer ETHOS immersion in Ghana. Following graduation, Carter has an interest in pursuing the Fulbright Scholar Program while studying sustainable engineering in Scotland. 

“Every step that you take on this journey is going to make you one step closer to where you are meant to be,” Carter said.