Construction Management senior Emily Cendejas-Garcia recounts her study abroad experience helping strengthen rural healthcare in Costa Rica—and the life-changing lessons she learned along the way

By Emily Cendejas-Garcia

My name is Emily Cendejas-Garcia ('25) and I’m studying construction management, one of the Undergraduate Applied Sciences programs offered at the College of Continuing and Professional Studies. I went to Costa Rica for the Pura Vida study abroad trip in January. This was my second time on the Pura Vida trip, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a life-changing experience. On this trip, I was picked to be the student leader; I was nervous about leading the team but grew to enjoy it. Good communication was key to our success. I learned that I love helping others and working on meaningful projects. 

Making an Impact, One Clinic at a Time

Our trip to Costa Rica focused on improving the Equipos Básicos de Atención Integral de Salud (EBAIS) clinic, translating to Basic Comprehensive Health Care Teams in English. EBAIS Piedades Norte clinic is an important healthcare center for about 7,000 people in Piedades Norte, San Ramón. The community relies heavily on agriculture and has an aging population, with many living in rural areas. Around 12.7% of Costa Ricans live in poverty, and 4.7% live in extreme poverty. Improving this clinic would greatly improve the lives of people in the area.

The clinic had several problems: insufficient space, an old layout, and a need for more services like ophthalmologists and dental care. The roof needed to be replaced, and there were no design plans to work with, which made things harder. Our charge was to develop a feasibility study for potential improvements.

The clinic is about a 15-minute drive from the hostel we were staying at, making it easier to evaluate and plan due to proximity. Our team was comprised of students from diverse academic fields: six from Construction Management (CMGT), one from Architecture, two from Health Services Management (HSM), one from Health Sciences (Rochester campus), and two from Information Technology Infrastructure (ITI). The CMGT students focused on estimating, logistics, schedules, and planning. The HSM students concentrated on addressing healthcare needs. Meanwhile, the ITI students proposed enhancements to Wi-Fi and digital connectivity. 

Four options for improving the clinic 

For each option, we included suggestions for new services, detailed plans, cost estimates, and steps for implementing them:

  1. Remodel the clinic, add an outdoor waiting area, and expand it (the biggest and most expensive option).
  2. Remodel the clinic and add an outdoor waiting area.
  3. Remodel only the main clinic. 
  4. Expand Wi-Fi to nearby clinics to reduce the need for physical medical records to be sent to EBAIS. 

Peter Hilger is the faculty member in charge of the Pura Vida program, and he’s such an influential person to meet. He is definitely another great perk about this trip, as you make meaningful connections with everyone. 

One participant, reflecting midway through the trip, said: “I’ve only known Peter for a week, and he’s already one of the most impactful professors I’ve met.” This sentiment resonates deeply. Peter teaches with incredible passion, and it’s truly inspiring to witness.  

Ann Ingwalson, an instructor for CCAPS’s Integrated Behavioral Health graduate program, acted as faculty co-leader. She was extremely sweet and helpful to our project, with her degree in psychology and tons of experience in teaching. This allowed Ann to help our HSM students, who were acting as the clinic "clients," understand the patients’ needs and know what questions to ask, which was pivotal. 

Throughout our time here we also enjoyed some free time exploring Costa Rica’s nature and culture. From this trip, I realized I want to help communities that don’t have the resources to support their own people. Giving back to the community is my life-long goal.

Enjoy these images from an experience none of us will ever forget.

A rubber raft carrying six people barrels through rapids on the Rio Balsa in Costa Rica
Right away, the group did their traditional team-building experience by whitewater rafting down the dam-fed Rio Balsa, followed by a traditional Costa Rican meal at Magdalena's farm in the cloud forest area. Other activities included a cooking class where the students learned to make empanadas and a trip to Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific coast for more "serious" research! Photo courtesy of Wave Expeditions.
The instructor-leader of the 2025 Pura Vida takes a group selfie on a village street under rainbow-striped umbrellas suspended above them
Leading the morning walk up and down some incredibly steep hills in San Ramon and into neighboring villages. Photo by Peter Hilger.
Instructor Peter Hilger taking a mountaintop group selfie
All the students attended Peter's morning walk. Photo by Peter Hilger.
The student group gets a tour a poor community in Costa Rica
We toured one of the poorest areas of town, Baja Tehares, to witness some of the social challenges this country faces, including immigration issues, drugs, and prostitution triggered within these marginalized communities. We visited the community as well as the community center, run as a church mission for many years. Pavel, a local resident who the Pura Vida program staff have known for many years now, gave us a tour of the community as its unofficial mayor. Photo by Peter Hilger.
Construction Management senior Emily Cendejas-Garcia is trussed up in ziplining gear
Emily Cendejas-Garcia after ziplining. Photo courtesy of ziplining company staff.

 

Group photo taken in front of the Piedades Norte Clinic
At the end of our presentation, the local development organization, Desarrollo, appreciated our ideas and said the improvements would help the community by making healthcare easier to access. Photo by Ann Ingwalson.