Dr. Mariano Lopez of the Department of Foreign Languages, second from left, presented plaques to, from left, Homero Escorcia, managing direcor of the Costa Rica Chamber of Commerce; Ursula Kott, a professor at the Universidad de Costa Rica; and Sergio Espinoza, publisher of the newspaper Codelca, in appreciation for their work with Mississippi State's internship and study abroad program in foreign language.

Program allows Spanish students to study, work in Costa Rica

The upper level Spanish students spent six weeks in San Jose, Costa Rica, studying at the Universidad de Costa Rica, working in local businesses, and living with host families.

The program is a cooperative effort by Mississippi State, the Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce, and the Universidad de Costa Rica.

Students in the study-internship option of the program took two upper-division courses at the university in the mornings and served internships in selected businesses in the afternoons.

The students lived with Costa Rican families so that they would be totally immersed in Spanish culture.

Dr. Mariano Lopez, foreign language professor at Mississippi State and resident director of the program, said the purpose is to give students a greater understanding of the culture than they could acquire in the classroom.

Dr. Robert E. Wolverton, head of the Department of Foreign Languages at Mississippi State, is overall director of the program.

This year's trip was the fourth since the program's inception in 1988. Last year, nine students from Mississippi State took part.

"Speaking the language with the natives and living in their homes gave the students firsthand experience in the culture," Lopez said. "It gives our students a great advantage when they apply for jobs in the future."

Four program options are available: study-internship, internship alone, study alone, and a graduate option.

Students who have at least 17 credit hours in Spanish are eligible to participate, and the program is limited to 15 students. Costs vary, depending upon the program option chosen, up to $2,500.

The early application deadline for next year's program is Dec. 15, 1994. For more information, contact Lopez at 325-3480.