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Q&A // VALERIA SOLANO
> Because we have questions. Celebrities have answers.
For the past four years, 43-year-old Valeria Solano has shown KU students her native country, Costa Rica, as the tour guide for the Honors Program's winter break trip. She never expected her summer job during college to turn into her vocation, but Valeria says she feels fortunate things worked out as they did.
She always wanted to be a veterinarian, but the only school in Costa Rica with that program was too far away, so Valeria studied biology closer to home. While in school, she worked as a tour guide in the summers, sharing her love of nature and Tico culture with others. In working on her master's in entomology, Valeria says she had a change of heart." In researching insects, you have to kill them, and there was just a point that I couldn't do it anymore."
After finishing her master's courses, Valeria chose to begin working as a tour guide. Because of her knowledge as a biologist, she had no trouble getting a job leading nature tours. At 30 years old and still guiding tours, she finally started veterinary school. However, after three years Valeria's poor vision made it impossible for her to perform surgical procedures, abruptly ending her lifelong dream. She continued working as a tour guide and eventually got the call that placed her with the KU Honors Program's two-week trips. Despite closed doors and unreached dreams, Valeria is grateful she's found a way to still pursue her passions: working with animals, nature and people.
Today, the same students Valeria has shared her country with get to show her Lawrence and American culture. It's her first visit to Kansas (her third time in the U.S.) and Valeria took the time to talk with Jaylaplay about her trip to Lawrence, life in Costa Rica and Pura Vida.
**Woman of knowledge:** As a tour guide for the Honors Program's winter break trip, Valeria Solano teaches KU students about the natural areas of Costa Rica. She is visiting Kansas for the first time.
What's your favorite part about working with KU students?
It's easy because the students want to go to Costa Rica and have specific things they want to see or learn. I think they always learn far more than they expected, so it's a wonderful activity for me and for them.
The KU program is only two weeks, so how do you spend your time the rest of the year when you're not giving tours?
I do a lot of work with street animals. In September and October, when it's the rainiest time in Costa Rica, I rescue cats and dogs that are very ill. Some friends and I take them in, help them and find them homes. That's what I enjoy most in my life. Tourism is work I enjoy, but it's not my passion. It gives me the money to help animals.
What do you think of Kansas so far and how does Lawrence compare to Costa Rica?
Everybody I have met is so nice. It's amazing you can just leave your umbrella outside
Also, I spend time as a translator for medical symposiums. I speak Portuguese because my mother was Brazilian, and after the swine flu pandemic many physicians moved to Costa Rica for medical symposiums, and they hired me as a translator. When I was a kid, I never thought that Portuguese would ever help me; but with time, every single thing I have learned, even the three years of veterinarian school, has helped me with something.
of places, because in Costa Rica it would get stolen. Also, Lawrence is organized, clean and there's a specific architectural style in the buildings and throughout the neighborhoods, which is fascinating. Also, the campus impresses me. The University of Costa Rica is a wonderful school, but it doesn't have anything similar to KU's buildings.
What are you looking forward to most about your visit?
The main thing is seeing my nieces and nephews (KU students) and Mary Klayder (Honors Program advisor). I wouldn't mind if there was a tornado here and I couldn't go out as long as I get to see them again. Also, learning about campus life in the United States is really interesting for me, so I want to see campus and Lawrence. I'd also like to see a natural area here because I really enjoy that as a biologist.
What is the biggest difference between the lifestyles of KU students and Costa Rican students?
Mainly, Costa Rican students live with their families and here they don't. There's good and bad in both. We have the company of our families, but then maybe we have to deal with family problems when we're trying to study. As for Kansas, I don't know how it feels to be far away from family, but I would probably miss them a lot. On the other hand, it might be easier to study.
What advice do you have for college students who have their minds set on something, but it doesn't work out?
With years you learn that many things you want in this life will never happen, and many things that you don't want to happen will happen, but you learn to have peace with time. You have to work hard for what you want, but even if you do your best and it doesn't work out, there's always a great Plan B and Plan C. Maybe you have [what you want], but if not, God has it for you.
What's one of the biggest differences between American and Costa Rican culture?
Americans need something to be satisfied and we feel satisfied. We don't need something to feel happy. Pura Vida is a common expression in Costa Rica. It's literally translated as, "pure life." I can ask someone, "Pura Vida? Is everything OK?" Or I can ask, "How is your father? How was your test?" and people answer, "Pura Vida," life is good by itself. No matter what comes, it's good to be alive.
// SARAH CHAMP
brings changes to cupcakes.
An assembly line-style bakery lets the customer pick the cake, filling and topping.
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Facilities Operations also tries to use native grasses in areas that aren't high in traffic, such as the West Campus, and limit the number of flowerbeds. This reduces costs and the number of ripped-out flowers.
SEE FLOWERS ON PAGE 2A
I'm trying to do stuart that doesn't require a lot of water and I'm trying not to fertilize at all" Harding said. The only fertilizer the University is going to use this year is a self-ade compost mix.
"We keep all of the leaves and any green stuff in a big pile and we just keep turning it, Harding said. "It definitely helps us reduce our cost. We can just fill that in and let it decompose."
assistant director of the landscape department. Facilities Operations is in charge of eight flowerbeds that contain about 11,000 bulbs and hundreds of shrub beds. In addition to planting flowers,the crew picks up trash in the morning, mows the grass at least once a week and otherwise maintains the about 1.000 acres of land on campus.
Although some would like to keep the uprooted tulips instead of throwing them away, the University is not allowed to give them away because the flowers are bought with state money.
"I just want to have a nice place for people to come and learn." Harding said. "I want it to be a destination"
TRAVEL
Student to take "freedom ride" across country
William Dale will get the chance to retrace the route of the original "freedom riders" in early May, joining a few of the original freedom riders and learning about civic engagement.
Dale, a freshman from Topeka, is one of 40 students from around the country to participate in Freedom Riders 2011, which is being organized by the Public Broadcasting Service series "American Experience."
BY WESTON PLETCHER wpletcher@kansan.com
"The students selected are the civic engagers of tomorrow. They are passionate about a plethora of issues." Dale said. "I hope to bring that passion back to KU. I want to learn from them and teach others
The first "freedom ride" took place almost 40 years ago when more than 400 black and white civil rights activists rode from Washington, D.C., to New Orleans on public buses to protest against segregation laws in the South.
Freshman travels the original route
V
it
From May 6 to May 16, Dale will travel by bus from Washington, D.C., to New Orleans just like the first freedom riders. The students will make stops at many of the locations that the original riders visited, which include Atlanta's Morehouse College; the Anniston, Ala., Bus Station; Vanderbilt University's First Amendment Center; the historic First Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala.; and finally will end the trip in New Orleans with a rally to welcome the original "freedom riders."
Dale said he was looking forward to the trip. He said he wanted to be able to discuss current social issues with other like-minded students.
about my experience."
"There is so much to learn, and I look forward to absorbing as much knowledge as I can," Dale said.
Edited by Samantha Collins
William Dale, a freshman from Topeka, was one of 40 students from across the country to be accepted to participate in Freedom Riders 2011.