Tropical Field Research

I attended the Tropical Field Research program the summer after my freshman year in High School. It was an amazing experience to be able to perform research far more advanced then anything I would learn in my High School courses. Being able to create an original experiment and collect data to test our hypothesis definitely prepared me for the rigor of college courses. Additionally, it was so eye opening to learn all about Costa Rican culture and spend 10 days immersed within it. Some highlights include, a cooking class with a local woman, swimming in breathtaking waterfalls and looking for nesting turtles on the beach. Additionally, the research staff are wonderful and the food is beyond incredible. I cannot recommend this program enough, it is definitely part of the reason that I am pursuing a STEM focused career today!

I did the first and second year of this program and they were the two best trips of my life. It almost makes me sad knowing that I won’t be able to have an experience as good as these again. I made friends on these trips from every walk of life and state in America and I’ve kept up with them to great degrees. The organizers of the program have every detail accounted for and when things inevitably go wrong plans seamlessly merge and go forward without a hitch. The science performed in both years is invaluable for anyone desiring to go into the STEM field and has set me up for success in not just my high school science classes but in college as well. The research performed with scientists from the best universities in the world will make every participant on the shortlist for doing research when they arrive in their college of choice. Both of these 10 day trips changed who I am and why I do what I do. Every day I woke up to the view (pictured below) and wondered if the whole thing was a dream. I will never look at my life the same and hope that every person can have a similar experience with Seeds of Change.

The SOC tropical research trip was a wonderful experience for me! I loved having the opportunity to work with professionals and academics, and the experience was great for my resume. The country and culture is also beautiful. I highly recommend this if you are considering it!

I was in a group of 4 students and we decided to test the leaf cutter ant’s reaction to a change in the pH of their fungal garden. We got to come up with our own question and create multiple experiments around the question.

This trip was so fun. Everything from the food, horseback riding, and the hikes into waterfalls were just perfect. The academics were challenging but fun and this trip really grew me as a person. Wish I could experience it again.

This trip was my first time out of the country, as well as my first time experiencing true science research. I would highly recommend this trip for anyone who is interested in biology-based science research and travel.