Ali Mumbach

Ali Mumbach

AIFS Program: San José, Costa Rica

Hey y’all, my name is Ali (sounds like alley and is not short for anything). I’m from Houston, Texas and I am going into my senior year at Texas State University, majoring in sociology and minoring in journalism. I find the social behaviors, traditions, and beliefs of people to be extremely interesting. There are so many more opportunities to learn from the differences between people, rather than ignoring or suppressing them. Culture is the foundation on which people’s customs and values are formed – this is what I love to study. And that is exactly what I got to do for four months this past semester in the beautiful country of Costa Rica. Living in Costa Rica was the opportunity of a lifetime and as anyone who has studied abroad anywhere says, I am a different person because of it. Not only did I experience a new culture, see the most beautiful views of my life, eat delicious food, travel to countries outside of Costa Rica, and make friends who I will know for many years to come, but what impacted me the most about studying abroad was learning more about myself. It’s probably clichéd at this point, but it’s true. Something about going to an entirely different place creates the moments you need to discover yourself. But don’t take my word for it, go try it! “Man’s relation to man and man’s relation to God are one relation.” - Howard Thurman