Judges Abroad: Katriona Briggs '26 studies in Panama

Hi everyone! My name is Katriona Briggs from the varsity cross country and track and field  teams. I am a junior double majoring in Biology and Environmental Studies with a minor in  Chemistry, and spending my spring semester studying Tropical Ecology, Marine Ecosystems,  and Biodiversity Conservation with SIT Panama. I always planned to study aboard for my  environmental major, choosing to come to Central America for the amazing biodiversity and  variety of ecosystems. I also wanted the opportunity to improve my Spanish and experience Panamanian culture in homestays. My host parents teach me about local foods, language, and  music, which varies region to region.  

I was also drawn to this program for the opportunity to travel – we are based out of Panama City, but go on two three-week excursions to travel around the country to stay in homestays. In  Panama City, we attend classes at the Universidad Technical de Panama and eat lunch with  language partners every day. 

I’m currently on week 2 of our first three-week excursion of the trip. I spent two nights in Boca Chica, a small beach town on the Pacific, and 4 days at a homestay in Cerro Punta, a farming  town in the middle of the country. My host parents were flower farmers and had been hosting  students for 25 years in their house, which they built themselves 35 years ago. They had a lot of extended family, even grandchildren in the neighboring city, who we got to meet at a 1950s themed diner

We crossed the country to the Caribbean side and are currently staying in a beach-front hostel  on Isla Colón in the Bocas de Toro Archipelago. My classes are largely fieldwork based, with  guest professors joining us in our travels each unit. Right now, we are studying mangrove ecology, spending our days prancing between mangrove roots and scaling trunks to measure biomass and search for crabs and other critters. We also had the opportunity to snorkel in some awesome coral reefs and look at tropical fish. I’ve even seen stingrays, pufferfish, and lionfish. 

I have been using running as an opportunity to explore every new place I encounter. Rural areas present challenges in terms of where to run, but I just try to stick to dirt and gravel roads. I love running first thing in the morning to have some valued alone time and listen to music. In Bocas  de Toro I have been starting every day with a morning run on the bike path that goes across the  Island and heading straight back to breakfast on the beach before class. I am really enjoying the  rural farming towns and islands on this trip because nobody is ever in a rush, and I feel an  overwhelming sense of peace. I also love taking classes out of the classroom and working in  field work – I feel like I am gaining valuable experience and learning so much more actually  being in the ecosystems we are learning about. However, my overall favorite part of studying  abroad, is fresh cooked breakfast every morning! I’m excited to see where the rest of the trip  will take me and what I will learn. Adios for now!