Hello, my name is Melissa Karlin! I am a business student pursuing a major in marketing and a digital media certificate. I am from Falls Church, Virginia which is really close to Washington D.C. Despite Costa Rica being a fairly small country, they are recognized as one of the top 20 most environmentally sustainable countries in the world by the World Energy Council. Their sustainability efforts are extremely admirable and makes me view them as innovative and conscientious. I believe that the rest of the world could learn a thing or two from Costa Rica in regards to sustainability! 

One major initiative Costa Rica has taken towards an even more sustainable future is the National Decarbonization Plan, which launched in 2019. The goal of this plan is to eliminate all emissions by the year 2050 to fulfill their part under the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. A method Costa Rica has taken towards committing to this plan is by granting tax breaks to companies that build bike racks and/or purchase bicycles for their employees. They are focusing on the transportation sector because it is the most difficult and ambitious to tackle.  Another sustainability practice Costa Rica has implemented is their “pay as you throw” program. This program makes residents pay a certain amount of money based on the weight of their trash. Moreover, this has led to Costa Rica recycling 60% of its waste. Lastly, sustainability is taught from elementary school to university in required sustainability courses. Looking through Costa Rica’s sustainability initiatives, tropical agriculture, coffee, or bananas does not appear to be present.

I am very excited to travel to Costa Rica for the next two weeks! I knew I wanted to participate in the Plus3 Program since the beginning of my freshman year because I was looking for an opportunity to study broad. I am looking forward to meeting my host family, adapting to a new daily routine, and learning about Costa Rican culture. One thing I am most excited for is the chocolate tour because since chocolate is one of my favorite foods, I am curious to see how a cacao bean goes to a bar of chocolate by observing its supply chain. Another aspect of the trip I cannot wait for is exploring the beautiful nature that Costa Rica has to offer, especially the trip to the La Paz Waterfall Gardens! I love trying new things and I am interested in trying new tropical fruits and other food traditional to Costa Rican cuisine. Finally, I am so grateful for this opportunity and I’ll see you in Costa Rica!