I am completing my LiA at INCAE Business School in Costa Rica. Through my project I will prepare a teaching case study on ‘Alsalus’, a mobile mammography unit serving rural communities here in Costa Rica. As of tomorrow, I will have been in Costa Rica for one week. I can’t believe how quickly time has flown! This week has been full of surprises, challenges and definitely pushed me outside of my comfort zone many times, but has overall been lots of fun. I definitely have seen the benefits of courage (my prompt for this week’s reflection), both from active decisions taken and scenarios where there was less choice!

I have made good progress on my work this week. It has been difficult adjusting to the curriculum and learning-style of the business school as it is a subject I am completely unfamiliar with. On the first day when I understood that a ‘business teaching case’ was a specific methodology and style of writing, rather than a page in a textbook you might find in secondary school, I have to admit I was nervous. I felt like more was expected of me than I could achieve. However, after taking the time this week to familiarise myself with business schools and the Harvard method, I feel much more settled. My advice to my past self starting this journey would be to be excited, and focus on the ways this is a new learning opportunity. 

Another area where I am proud of my courage is my Spanish language skills. I studied Spanish before coming to university, but have gradually become less familiar with the language over time. I did take a refresher course before coming to Costa Rica, but still felt overwhelmed by the prospect of conversing in Spanish all the time! However, my supervisor has been really supportive and created opportunities that have encouraged me to have courage in myself. For example, I visited a coffee plantation and had in-depth conversations with the owner who did not speak any English, showing myself that I can be adaptable. During our meetings, my supervisor also pushes me to report my findings in Spanish which feels very scary! I am learning to have the courage that I can get things right even when I feel uncertain, and also that I can remain proud and do a good job even when I get things wrong.