Fellow Blog

By Coltrane Joseph

The last time I took a plane, I landed on a frozen tarmac in Connecticut without a coat for the winter holidays. This time was very different. I arrived in Asunción past midnight, heavy-eyed from the flight, but instantly grounded by the thick humid air that met me outside the plane door. It smelled warm and familiar—not quite the Dominican breeze that now greets me daily where I live by the beach, but something just as comforting and friendly.

By Katherine Swisher

From surfing to hiking the tallest peak in the Caribbean—here are my top 10 most memorable moments from my first six months abroad.

By Hannah To

Weaving across the road, a steady line of leafcutter ants carry plant fragments back to a tree where, deep under the roots, lies a den in which the ants are cultivating the pieces into a fungal garden for their own feeding. Far above, within the canopy of the same trees, jump around howler monkeys (though they’re usually heard before they’re seen). 

By Nina Paneque

Hello PiLA Community! My name is Nina Paneque, and I am this year´s PiLA fellow stationed in Ciudad de México. Since July, I have had the privilege of collaborating with a dynamic crew of go-getters in the Endeavor Mexico office, all on a mission to supercharge the nation´s innovation culture and build thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems. 

By Katie Cooper

When I accepted an offer to work as a Princeton in Latin America Fellow at EARTH University in Costa Rica, I never thought that I would be on a farm in rural Uganda 25 minutes from the DRC or meet a Ugandan King during the course of my fellowship. As a PiLA Fellow at EARTH University in Costa Rica, I was able to live through these experiences and more on a recent work trip to Uganda with my team.

By Sydney Morris

Moving to Costa Rica right after graduating from Colorado College has been one of the biggest changes I’ve made in my life. With a minor in Spanish, I’ve always dreamt of living abroad, and didn't get the chance to study outside of the country in college due to COVID. Coupled with my B.A. in Organismal Biology & Ecology, the opportunity to work as an aspiring ornithologist (a.k.a. bird nerd) at Osa Conservation through Princeton in Latin America (PiLA) seemed like a perfect fit for my passions and career goals. 

By Liliana Lines

When people ask what it’s like to live in the Costa Rican rainforest for a year, I usually start with one word: wild . And I don’t just mean the monkeys, pumas, and snakes (though they’re definitely part of it). I’m talking about a complete shift in how you live and think, surrounded by the most incredible biodiversity, working on projects that feel like they’re making a real impact, and constantly being challenged to step out of your comfort zone. That’s been my life as a Princeton in Latin America (PiLA) Fellow at Osa Conservation.

It's hard to believe our remote 2020-2021 Fellows have all finished their placements and that we're moving on to a brand new cycle of remote PiLA experiences! We're excited to be working again with partner organizations Endeavor Mexico, EARTH University, and Partners for Andean Community Health (PACH); all of whom hosted remote PiLA Fellows last year.

By Katherine Kemp

When I applied to Princeton in Latin America, I fully expected to be sent off to a remote community somewhere in Latin America. I was already preparing for exciting new foods, the embarrassing moments that naturally result from being a foreigner in a new culture, and most importantly, learning about international development at the local level.

We are thrilled to share with the PiLA Family that all our new PiLA Fellows have started their placements!

It’s been a whirlwind year for PiLA and for our valued partner organizations, but also for our program finalists for the 2020-21 fellowship year.

By Emily Nagler

Although I'm less than halfway through my PiLA fellowship -- five months and one day to be exact -- I feel like I've become a member of both the community of Patzún, Guatemala and my host organization, the Women's Justice Initiative (WJI). To my surprise, it took only a few weeks for me to feel welcomed and settled as a member of the team, despite all the barriers I had created in my mind.

The PiLA Team is happy to report that all of our 2019-2020 PiLA Fellows have started their fellowship adventures!