Hi! My name is Katherine Mills and I am a full-time college student at the University of North Georgia. My major is "secondary education in biology" and I plan to become a high school science teacher after graduation.

I was recently presented with the opportunity to participate in a study abroad trip to Monteverde, Costa Rica in which I would be able to gain first-hand experience with tropical cloud forest ecology while conducting field research. The program begins in the Summer of 2023 and consists of two weeks of class on my home campus and a subsequent two-week trip to Costa Rica, accompanied by two very experienced and knowledgeable biology professors and a handful of my peers from the biology department. This program will count as an upper-level biology elective and will contribute four credit hours toward the acquisition of my degree.

A little information about the cloud forest and the town of Monteverde: The tropical cloud forests of Monteverde are "an epicenter for biodiversity, international communities and scientific discovery. It was in these fog-shrouded forests that upslope migration of species was first documented. Unfortunately, in the tropics, mountain ecosystems – like cloud forests – are like canaries in a coal mine: they show early warning signs of climate change" (https://news.mongabay.com/2017/09/a-global-view-from-a-mountain-town-how-conservation-became-ingrained-in-monteverde/) Here is another website that presents additional information on the cloud forest of Monteverde and the biodiversity of flora and fauna that live in this environment: https://cloudforestmonteverde.com/cloud-forest/. These forests are home to a large diversity of endangered plants and animals. Learning first-hand about the vast biodiversity of these life forms and the conservation techniques that have been implemented towards preserving this ecosystem will supply me with a critically important knowledge base as I begin my career as a science teacher. This will help me to introduce my future students to a first-hand account of the complexity and biodiversity of our world, hopefully igniting in them a desire to learn about and explore our beautiful world for themselves.

This would be a very valuable experience, both for my career and as a life experience. It is an opportunity that I will likely never have again, and I feel very strongly that it is worth the effort and expense. However, as a full-time student, it is a very tedious task to save enough money to afford this opportunity, as it is quite an expensive program. Even after picking up extra work, I am only able to save very little money after my monthly expenses. I have also applied for scholarships and sold some personal belongings. I am currently considering applying for a non-student loan, which I see as a last resort as it will accrue much more interest than a student loan and nearly double the cost of the program overall.

I have created this GoFundMe as a way to supplement my current efforts to raise money for this program. Any and all funds donated to this cause will go directly toward the cost of the program. If I am unable to participate in the program for any reason, all funds will be returned to those that donated.

I sincerely appreciate any amount that is contributed, and I will be sure to share pictures and stories from my experience upon return. Thank you all for your support!