Program: UMD-Winter: Nicaragua: Sustainable Agriculture and Enviroment (ANSC)
Term: Winterterm 2023
Major: Sustainable Agriculture
Study abroad improved my knowledge of spoken and written Spanish. I became comfortable speaking Spanish even at a slightly intermediate level. The world is indeed small, others are willing to interact with us as fellow human beings. How Nicaragua is using "Agroecology" as an agricultural system to become 90% food self-sufficient and sovereign. I interacted well with the Nicaraguan Ambassador in Washington, DC and returned to Nicaragua as a special guest of the Embassy of Nicaragua.
While participating in this Winter Study abroad program, I met with the founder and president of the most prominent Farm Workers Association in Nicaragua. We became friends to the point of visiting him at home during my second return to Nicaragua a few days ago.
Advice for future #TerpsAbroad:
By all means, be yourself. Learn something online about the people, the country, and if possible, a few courteous words in their language, if it is not English. A positive and kind attitude is understood worldwide.
I was fortunate to serve in the military and be stationed overseas, particularly in Europe. Going to Nicaragua did not provide any unusual challenge; however, I was able to guide the new students with some cultural adjustments. We all had a lot of fun discovering a new country, basically down the road from the US West Coast.
If I hadn't studied abroad, I would have never been invited by the Ambassy of Nicaragua to return as a special guest.