Stefanía Padilla
My name is Stefanía Padilla, and I am a student of Sustainable Development Engineering at the University of Costa Rica, Atlantic Campus. A year ago, I started an internship as a Trainee Engineer at EcoCitizen where I have contributed to research and projects to promote a regenerative and sustainable future through rigorous science, technology development, and social innovation.
Thanks to EcoCitizen and in particular the mentorship and help of Adriana, the CEO; I got the opportunity to participate in a three-week-long full-time academic programme , the Ingenieurinnen-Sommeruni (Summer University for Women Engineers) at the University of Bremen in Germany. As its name suggests, this summer school is specifically by and for women in STEM fields, both students and teachers; and offers a wide variety of courses related to technology and sustainability. It is very important to mention that my participation was only possible thanks to a scholarship I received from the University of Costa Rica and from the University of Bremen, for which I am infinitely grateful!
The first week in this German city was simply wonderful. The cultural difference compared to Costa Rica can be seen in every detail: the language, the time difference, the food, and even the fact that sunset is not until 9 p.m., which makes the days longer and more productive, allowing you to make the most of every moment to discover new corners of the city.
Although I don’t know any German, I really enjoyed hearing my classmates and teachers use it in conversation. I learned some simple words: now I know that I can say hello with “Hallo” or “Guten Tag,” toast with “Prost,” and say goodbye with “Tschüss,” which, by the way, should be said in an almost sing-song manner to sound authentic.
During my participation in this program, I was fortunate to meet incredible women from different parts of the world. I spent time with colleagues and new friends from China, Turkey, Colombia, the United States, Germany, Russia, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. Despite our different cultures and backgrounds, there was an atmosphere of sisterhood every time we shared in the classrooms or during social activities.
When I started my internship at EcoCitizen, I was always excited to imagine that one day I would be able to visit Luxembourg and get to know the part of our team that lives there. Being in Germany and relatively close, I finally had the opportunity to visit this small, little-known, but beautiful country with its impressive cultural diversity. I visited some really beautiful places, learned a little about how it works and what it represents, and, best of all, I met in person coworkers with whom until then, I had only communicated by video, text or email. We even held a workshop that allowed us to build trust and get to know each other even more as a team, learn what we have in common, and understand and define our roles as part of the organisation.
Traveling and getting to know Europe has always been on my bucket list, and I never imagined that this year it would become a reality. The opportunity to see how things are on the other side of the world completely expands your perception of social and cultural differences. During my trip, I visited different cities, each with its own unique charm, including Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Hamburg and Bremen in Germany, Metz in France, and Luxembourg City.
After a great trip to Luxembourg, I returned to Bremen for the last week of the summer school. The courses I took during the three weeks were very varied: Life Cycle Thinking and Assessment, Software for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Smart Tools in Natural Sciences and Engineering, Sustainability in Action: Designing a Regenerative Future, and finally, Web Development with React. The courses were taught in English, which I think helped me a lot because it forced me to use English for entire days, so in addition to learning, I also practiced the language.
Sharing, studying, and learning in a space that is only for women really makes a difference. It’s not that sharing classrooms with men is wrong or uncomfortable, but the atmosphere of being surrounded only by women is different, and when you add to that the fact that we are from different countries, it becomes even more interesting.
I am very happy and grateful to have participated in this program. It was a challenging experience that taught me how capable I can be. I am grateful to God, my family, EcoCitizen, the University of Bremen, the University of Costa Rica, and each of the people who accompanied and supported me so that everything would turn out well. With a full heart, I return home with the hope of coming back soon.
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