Meet Jamison as he shares his story about interning in Costa Rica!
World Internships: Tell us about yourself.
Jamison Domingsil: My name is Jamison Domingsil. I was born in Japan but have lived in Hawaii for the most of my life. I am an undergraduate senior that is completing an internship for college credits.
WI: Where did you go? What was your internship?
JD: I went to Costa Rica, and my internship was to work at Camaronal National Wildlife Refuge. I was an intern helping with endangered sea turtles that come to nest at the beach. My other duties included patrolling the beach for sea turtles, watching the hatchery, and releasing baby sea turtles towards the ocean. Furthermore, volunteers and other interns had to keep the the refuge tidy and hand out surveys for incoming visitors to complete.
WI: Why did you decide to apply for an international internship?
JD: I decided to apply for an international internship because not only did I need work experience, but to have a chance to explore a different country and do something that is extraordinary.
WI: Why did you choose World Internships?
JD: I chose World Internships because this organization was the best in terms of accommodating potential interns with information of our internship quickly than other organizations. They worked with me in order to fit me with an internship that satisfies my interests, and kept in contact with me more frequently than others. World Internships services are what kept me to stay with the organization.
WI: Describe an average day in the life of a World Internships participant?
JD: For me, I had 4 weeks of Spanish at a Language Academy where I was put into a Costa Rican host family. I had 3 meals each day, went to school to improve my Spanish, and came home to do homework. During the weekends, I visited other towns and cities of Costa Rica and spent 1-2 days at my chosen destination. Afterwards, I came back home on Sunday in order to get ready for another week of school. You are immersed into the language, and everyday, it was necessary for me to use Spanish in order to get myself around or do things that I want.
WI: Tell us about your internship, your duties and accomplishments, and the company.
JD: My internship was something that I didn’t anticipate. Several of my duties occur at night since sea turtles prefer to lay their eggs during that time of the day. Many of my duties include night patrols at the beach while leading a group of volunteers, taking care of the sea turtle hatchery, logging information of incoming mother sea turtles that come to Camaronal to lay their eggs, and keeping the refuge clean and orderly for people such as tourists, local visitors, and surfers.
The organization at Camaronal are an awesome group of people who try their best to accommodate everyone who visits the park. They are knowledgeable of the flora and fauna that resides within the refuge. Also, all of the staff here speak Spanish, and they’re willing to help your Spanish if you are willing to put effort into improving it.
Many of the duties I have done at the refuge were first-time accomplishments! I had the opportunity to release baby sea turtles at the beach, assist in retrieving eggs from a nest, and communicate with visitors in Spanish or English.
WI: How has interning abroad in Costa Rica affected you?
JD: Interning in Costa Rica is a decision that I have no regrets for. It has changed me to rely on my own skills, for example, asking the taxi for a ride when you have little Spanish vocabulary, or purchasing tickets at a bus terminal hoping your little Spanish is enough to buy what you want. These kinds of scenarios without the assistance of no one was out of my comfort zone, and it made me realize that I had to continue using Spanish consistently. Interning abroad has developed my self-confidence in talking and conversing with other people.
WI: What is your biggest advice for students who are thinking about traveling with World Internships?
JD: My biggest advice would be to allow yourself come out of your comfort zone. You really learn what your capabilities are from doing things that you have never experienced before, or doing things that make you feel uncomfortable. I participated in cooking and dance classes of Costa Rica, traveled alone to other places and made friends during those moments, and had conversations with the local people in order to practice Spanish as well as gain information of attractions. For me, traveling has improved my ability to be more social and more aware of the world.