Fiorella Casinelli is 21 years old and comes from Guayaquil, Ecuador. Studying at EARTH had always been one of her goals, however, due to time constraints she was not able to apply.
She started her degree in environmental engineering at UEES (Universidad de Especialidades Espiritu Santo) three years ago and when her academic plan required 600 hours of pre-professional work she knew it was her chance to have the EARTH experience she had always wanted. She arrived on campus on January 13 for three months, after being accepted by the University's International Academic Relations office, and immediately began her work at the Organic Integrated Farm (FIO) under Arnoldo Avila.
These are some of the questions we asked him during his visit:
What did you like most about EARTH?
The University is beautiful in every way. My work schedule was in the mornings only and depending on the day I would go to the FIO, the livestock farm, the peri-urban garden, the collection center... Also, in the afternoons I had the opportunity to go to the renewable energy and animal production classes with the other students. You realize that the professors are very qualified, and I loved the experience.
What would you highlight about the teaching process?
In the three years that I have been studying, there are many things that I did at EARTH that I had not had the opportunity to do in my country. This makes me tell the kids who are already studying at EARTH to take advantage of it. The facilities are a plus, and everything you learn is practical. At EARTH we graduate people who are capable of making decisions in the real world.
How would you rate the reception from the EARTH community?
I felt like family from the moment I arrived, I was immediately welcomed by everyone. Something that surprised me was that the professors made me feel at ease. With the students is another thing, I have met people from many countries and I know I can call them friends, I even had a doña. Everything was wonderful.
What are your areas of interest within what you study?
I like two things: organic crops, because they are related to people's health, the good management of crops, the use of chemicals, etc. The second is peri-urban agriculture, vertical planting to be applied in the city, the use of space and harvesting what you are going to eat. All this is related to the fact that I am from an urban area.
When I applied for the internship it was just to work at FIO, but by being here I was able to coordinate going to other areas that piqued my interest. Luckily there was the flexibility to do so and learn a lot more.
What would you tell other people in the city to encourage them to pursue a career in agriculture?
Most of the population in the city feels like I felt, trapped. The pollution, the traffic, the noise, etc. I would tell them to take a chance to experience new things, a place like EARTH makes you value everything you have.
And what did you think of Costa Rica?
I loved it. In Costa Rica you can travel everywhere in a short time, and since I had the weekends off I had the opportunity to see a lot of the country: I went to the beaches of Limón and Guanacaste, I went to Puntarenas as well. I was able to go to San Carlos and I was also in the city of San Jose and Heredia. I had never seen Costa Rica before and I liked each place for its unique things.
Do you have any other comments about the internship experience?
It was much more than I expected, I don't have any negative comments. I liked everything.
This is an extreme change. I have found peace living here. My alarm is the sound of monkeys and birds; I work, go to classes and then go to the pool and do a lot of other things, so I'm always active.
I would recommend EARTH without hesitation. The warmth of the people is incredible. I leave here with a little seed that says EARTH in my heart. I am sure I will come back.
