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|  Name: Kimberly Nicole Newhard
SFS Program: Australia Summer '03
Education: BS, Indiana University
Current Position: SFS Student Affairs Manager in Costa Rica
Why did you choose SFS as a study abroad program?
I really liked the fact that SFS has a five-year research plan. This is a great idea because the knowledge and hard work that the students put into the program will directly affect local communities and will shape how the future research projects and studies will follow. Not only is science furthered this way, but local communities prosper.
Reflecting back on your time in the program, what did you gain from your SFS experience?
Leadership skills, teamwork, patience, and working together to accomplish a larger goal than I could ever have done on my own without the guidance and experience of the faculty and staff.
What is your most profound or lasting memory from your SFS program?
Our free time. Simply put it is essential to give the students the freedom to make their own decisions. This creates confidence as well as lifelong friendships. One free morning in Australia, the students and I woke up at 4am and hiked kilometers and kilometers just to arrive at a beautiful lookout point where we ate breakfast and watched the sunrise.
What advice would you give to a prospective SFS student?
Keep an open and flexible mind to what other countries have to offer. Other cultures may change your life in ways you could never imagine.
Tell us about your job.
I'm currently the Student Affairs Manager at the SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica. Each day  is filled with adventure. I wake up about 5 or 6am and get ready for the day. Breakfast at 7am. Staff meeting at 7:45am. RAP (Reflections, Announcements and Physicality) at 8am. Then from there I could be orienting the new session's students to a new location here in Costa Rica on a field trip, traveling to Nicaragua, soccer with the community, or baking banana nut chocolate bread. 6pm Dinner. Sleep at 10 or 11pm.
Once a week I take the students to a dance class. They can teach any kind of Latino dance and we all love it. No matter how long the day has been I always look forward to this as my "chocolate on top" of life being so good.
What are the two most essential skills that got you to your position?
I've done a lot of traveling in Costa Rica as well as throughout South and Central America, and I speak Spanish.
What advice do you have for other SFS alumni looking to get into your field?
Life is good and you can do whatever you want to in life. Don't get stuck in jobs that you don't like just because it feels safe and secure. Be adventurous.
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