In his first weeks at the Guácimo Campus, the hands of José Antonio González Vergara (Class of 1997, Panama) were filled with small blisters from working in the field. He had never used a shovel, pickaxe, or machete before. The heat was unbearable. He wasn’t used to sweating so much, or spending hours under the tropical sun, or the unpredictable rain of the rainforest. He was a “city boy” trying to make sense of rural life. His classmates encouraged him—“You can do it, José, you can do it,” they said with every swing of the hoe—while he learned to channel his strength into using the tools that would help him work the land during his four years at EARTH.
That’s how José Antonio’s professional journey began: uncertain about his abilities, but eager to learn, ready to be amazed, and to become someone. He was also the youngest of eight siblings and the only one who had gone to college. On his shoulders rested the hope of opening new doors for his entire family. When he left Panama for Costa Rica, his father threw a party to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter for all of them. Years later, José Antonio still remembers that gesture as the spark that kept him strong when he felt like giving up. “I couldn’t go back defeated. My father expected results,” he recalls.
Among banana, pineapple, and corn fields, he began to find his way. He was drawn to the hands-on learning model, to the work on the Livestock Farm, to the challenge of operating agricultural machinery for the first time. Each experience pushed him to discover new abilities, to recognize his own potential. Slowly, the young man who arrived unsure of who he was began to shape himself into a professional—with discipline, curiosity, and a deep sense of gratitude.
After graduating, José Antonio spent a decade working at Panama’s Ministry of Environment. There, he discovered his true passion: understanding how human decisions affect ecosystems. That curiosity led him to pursue a Master’s degree in Environmental Management, and to collaborate with organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Yet, over time, he realized that his calling was not only to protect the environment, but also to guide others to do the same.
This led him to found his own company, J.A. Consultores, dedicated to environmental auditing and consulting. But teaching ultimately gave everything its meaning. Since 2012, José Antonio has taught environmental education and ecology at three Panamanian universities, as well as various courses in Environmental Engineering. For him, every group is a new opportunity to create a horizontal, dynamic, and participatory learning experience. “My classes are never the same. I always try to surprise my students, to connect with them—not everyone loves my subjects, but they are important because they teach you to care for the environment and for the planet, which is our home,” he says.
Today, more than 25 years after his graduation, José Antonio combines his consulting work with his role as a university professor. He firmly believes that teaching is an extension of the leadership he learned at EARTH: preparing not only competent professionals, but also people with values, empathy, and purpose. “EARTH doesn’t just train agronomists—it prepares leaders capable of transforming their communities,” he affirms.
As he speaks, José Antonio’s eyes reflect the same spark of curiosity and perseverance that once kept him going through the tropical heat. The city boy who didn’t know how to hold a machete grew into a man and a professional who now cultivates knowledge and approaches every endeavor with passion.