Rhys Edwards
As a student in the Faculty of Arts, Rhys worked alongside other UBC students and international volunteers, focusing on sustaining and developing the delicate coastal ecosystems throughthe ISL program in Costa Rica.
What was the highlight of your experience?
As is often stated in response to questions such as these, no one moment was outstanding - I do not want to appear flippant in saying that every day presented new challenges, interactions, and significant learnings. This being said, there is an event that is particularly prominent in my mind. One night, during a patrol for sea turtles, we were extremely lucky to stumble upon two different specimens creating nests, within meters of each other: an enormous Leatherback, and a beautiful Green (both of which are endangered). The likeliness of our finding these creatures at that exact moment, without a poacher having found them first, was immensely slim. There were just enough people in the patrol to attend to both turtles at the same time, and I was lucky enough to be the one to record the biometric information of the Green Turtle - the first one recorded that season! We cheered on the Green as it crawled successfully back into the ocean (had we left it, a poacher may have come for it); it was an immensely joyous sight. In addition, carrying the eggs back to the hatchery was a highly profound experience. During those few moments when the bag is in your hand, one becomes highly sensitive to the fact that they are partially responsible for the assisted longevity of the species - or, if things go wrong, the perpetuation of its extinction!
Why did you choose this particular program?
Though I am definitively an Arts Major, I am highly cognisant of the notion of 'Sustainability,' and how it is widely disseminated as a political or marketing term in our society. Instead of simply continuing to approach sustainability as a concept, or catchphrase, I felt that in order to be able to discuss it somewhat legitimately in the future I would need to have personal experience in a context where sustainability is not merely abstract, but a definitive and ongoing process. The Quelonios project in Pacuare provided such a context.
How has this opportunity impacted your studies/career?
The variety of experiences I had in Costa Rica have informed my interests and beliefs, with the result being that in some respects I am reassured in the choices I have made for my degree, and I can more clearly envision the career path that will be the most valuable and fulfilling for myself, as well as how my degree fits into my life. Conversely, I have also come to realize that there are some values and activities with which I can no longer identify; having undertaken the program at this stage in my life, I have thus been prevented from making educational or vocational choices later on that I would have ultimately found unsuitable.
What would you say to other students thinking about going global before they graduate?
Of course, nearly everyone will suggest that you undertake these opportunities for the usual reasons, and I will mirror them. I would also like to add that, as a UBC undergrad, you are in a unique position in life - you have not quite come into the responsibilities of adulthood, or major financial burden, and so this is the perfect time to travel and volunteer if you have ever planned on doing so. In addition, my experience taught me that Go Global is a particularly unique program - whereas other organizations will simply send you abroad purely for the benevolent and vacuous novelty of 'international volunteering,' the supervisors of Go Global will teach you how to deal with challenges, derive personal meaning from your projects, effectively contribute to your host organization, and ultimately return with more than a line on your resume. They are personally interested in seeing you succeed, but they are also discerning - this is a challenging, and rewarding, program. Thus, if you happen to be a UBC student with an authentic affinity for altruism, growth, and learning, then you should take advantage of Go Global's unique mandate. However, I should stress that you need to be sure that you are undertaking the program for the right reasons. Be realistic about your expectations, and sincerely ask yourself if you are willing to sacrifice time, money, the comforts of home, and maybe even some sanity, for this program. If you aren't sure, you may find yourself quickly regretting your decision - and marring the success of a project.
