Alumni Stories

Komlan Kekeli Batchey (Class of 2021), a Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Alumni, grew up in a farming community in Togo. As a child he helped his mother grow and sell green beans and lettuce from her garden…

When José Antonio González (Class of 1997) arrived at EARTH from Panama, he had never held a shovel nor endured the heat of the open field. What began as a physical challenge turned into a life lesson that led him to discover his passion for the environment and for teaching…

Sam Hansen (Class of 2014, United States) is part of a sustainability education center based in Costa Rica. There, he manages agroforestry systems, fermentation processes, and teaches courses on permaculture and natural building—all while keeping community development at the heart of his work…

The first time Gastón Miyashiro (Class of 2007, Argentina) stepped foot on EARTH’s campus wasn’t his first day as a student—it was for a week-long training on microorganisms. At the time, Gastón was studying Business Administration at the University of Buenos Aires and had been working with Effective Microorganisms, a Japanese technology that creates synergistic effects by combining beneficial microbiomes that exist in nature…

Within her first week at EARTH, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Alumni, Betania Taquiva Ramírez (Class of 2016, Venezuela) had already introduced herself to all 400 students, the faculty, and every staff member on the Guácimo Campus…

Inspired by his grandfather, Cawayne always dreamed of working in agriculture. He imagined studying close to home in Jamaica, where he could directly uplift his family and community…

Malachi Troy Symonds, from the island of Bermuda, is not one to step away from a challenge. The 2019 EARTH graduate, well-known locally for his agronomy skills and gardening expertise, is working diligently to develop the agricultural capacity of his home country in a sustainable and environmentally conscious way…

From Scotland, Karina Garcés-Mirza (Class of 2002, Ecuador) is leading green infrastructure projects that aim to tackle one of the greatest challenges of our time: climate change. Her background in sustainable development and rural communities now translates into an urban vision committed to building more resilient and sustainable cities…