Hello, my name is Felix Diaz, a young Panamanian in Colorado passionate about salsa music, a little bit of merengue and reggaeton, and a lot of typical Panamanian music. I am a second-year Geology student with a concentration in Hydrology.

Studying abroad away from my loved ones has been a difficult decision I have made. However, it has helped me to embark on a new path with opportunities for personal growth such as meeting other people from different countries and backgrounds, which for me is very interesting, having contact with members of the department where I study, my classmates, and also my closest friends who help and motivate me in any circumstance. During this experience at CSU, I have been able to develop and try new things that help me contribute to the Ram community and when not in my country of origin, such as being a member of the Year 2 @ CSU staff, participating in community service projects, building teamwork, being a staff member of the Parmelee Front desk, being a member of the global village group in 2019, participating in a Christian group, and doing outdoor activities with my friends. 

So, it is gratifying that I can share part of my culture, and Panamanian tradition with my friends and people around me. It is great to have friends from different parts of the world since I have learned different cultures, traditions that in one way or another I had no idea existed before. So, what should you take away from this? It’s that maybe starting something new is difficult, especially when you have to learn a new language, but daring to try something different is rewarding and a total change of how to see things from a different point of view that did not exist before.