“I feel a great passion for working with people. I love being in the community, working hand in hand with people, and making a positive impact on their lives. This year made me realize how fulfilling this kind of work is,” says Happiness Maworera (Class of 2024, Zimbabwe) as she talks about Professional Experience, one of the fourth-year courses where students take on leadership roles, supervise projects, and guide first- and second-year students.
In Professional Experience, students can apply to work for a year in one of the 12 scenarios the University offers. One of these is the Community Development Program (CDP), where Happiness, a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at EARTH University, had the opportunity to lead projects alongside Community Water Management Associations (ASADAS) in the communities of El Progreso and La Alegría, near the Guácimo Campus. In Costa Rica, ASADAS are responsible for managing and supplying drinking water to communities that, in many cases, are not connected to centralized water networks. This is crucial in rural areas where access to drinking water can be limited.
Happiness’ role in ASADAS has focused on strengthening the relationship between the association and the community. Through her work, she has promoted environmental education through workshops focused on water and natural resource conservation. With the CDP team, and with support from faculty, and students who have joined her at different times throughout the year, Happiness designed various proposals, projects, and training sessions to strengthen community bonds and raise awareness for protecting watersheds and water sources. One of the key projects she led was tree planting near rivers to protect water resources.
Working with first- and second-year EARTH students has been another enriching experience for Happiness. Thanks to her collaborative leadership style, she has encouraged young people to participate in every project actively.
“We all worked together. It was an experience that taught me a lot about teamwork and how to lead with empathy,” she says. Listening with patience, and respect while carrying out her tasks as a leader has allowed her to connect genuinely with people of different ages and countries.
For Happiness, the path to the future is clear: her goal is to return to her country and continue working in community development. “I want to apply everything I have learned at EARTH to work alongside farmers, promote sustainability, and support the development of my community,” she says enthusiastically. Without a doubt, Happiness represents the model of leadership that our University fosters.