Staff Interview with Fernando Muñoz Amuy
Get to know Toucan Abroad's staff!
Fernando was born and raised in Cartago, Costa Rica. In addition to his role at Toucan Abroad, he is a professional chef. After studying gastronomy at Universidad Latina de Costa Rica, he worked as a Shift Manager at a five-star hotel and restaurant in Barcelona, Spain.
What inspired you to work for Toucan Abroad?
As a student, I had the opportunity to travel and learn how different some things outside of my country were done. I want to help people get out of their comfort zones so they can explore different cultures and meet new people. Also, I want to show them all the nice things Costa Rica has to offer to the world.
We had our Toucan Abroad alumni reunion in Cancún, México in 2022. Couldn't ask for a better location.
Why do you do what you do?
I do this because I love to help people and I love to see how they grow in such a short time. I love seeing them get out of their comfort zone and learning how different procedures in physical therapy are applied. Learning in another country and culture, is a really important discovery for the students because it changes their point of view of their careers.
What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part is getting to know the students we work with and learning about what they like to do, what their hobbies are, and where they live. It helps to create a more personalized experience for them, because it develops more trust when they can be themselves while we are on the program.
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
After studying abroad, I realized that the world I live in is bigger than I thought. There are different people, different cultures, and different ways of doing stuff. So I feel that you need to make the students experiment with those new opportunities on their own by guiding them through the process and giving them advice on how to take advantage of all that.
Toucan Abroad session 1 during summer 2022 on the Turrialba Volcano in Cartago, Costa Rica.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
Don’t be scared to get out and open your mind to new opportunities. The world is bigger then you thought it was and you can always learn new things from new people. Enjoy your life to the fullest because you will never know if tomorrow you will still be here. Develop new friendships in the process because you never know if they are going to be with you for the rest of your life.
What makes Toucan Abroad special?
In Toucan Abroad, we help students become physical therapists by giving them opportunities to learn new techniques and processes in different countries. So they can really open their minds and understand the big impact they can create in people's lives, and help them realize what they really want to do in their careers.
Why should someone choose Toucan Abroad over competitors?
At this moment, we are the only program with in-clinic observations abroad. This is where you get to observe multiple physical therapy specialties in Latin America, while you also get to travel to a tropical paradise. We want to give the students the same experiences we had in our education path that helped us develop our careers.
What hopes do you have for the future for Toucan Abroad?
I expect to keep helping the next generation of physical therapists on growing a different mindset for the future. We are also constantly growing, so we want to expand our locations and open new places worldwide so students will have the opportunity to visit new different countries and learn what the professionals have to offer.
Beach times are the best times! Enjoyed traveling with friends in Hawaii (former Toucans).
What is Toucan Abroad's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
Toucan Abroad seeks to provide pre-physical therapy students the opportunity to complete their shadowing hours as part of an impactful experience studying abroad. By providing students an international shadowing experience, Toucan Abroad aims to inspire its students to deepen their cultural awareness, both in their studies and in life overall.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
We hope they learn new experiences in a new country, to maybe forget everything they know and start creating their own perspectives. Also, we want them to reassure their love for their careers and give them the opportunity to explore different specialties so they can identify which of those they want to explore further.
If you could participate in one of Toucan Abroad's programs, where would you go and what would you do?
If I could participate, I would definitely go to Costa Rica, because of how nice and welcoming the people are and how great the culture is. I would take advantage of all those experiences to get to know the country and their people, also I will definitely eat a lot of their good food and enjoy their “Pura vida” vibes.
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
A lot of young people always get to a comfort zone in their household and don’t explore anything else outside of that. It is important to leave it because it will teach you to understand that not everyone has the same opportunities you have. Also, it will create a sense of reality in many aspects of your life.
Why do you think learning a new language is important?
Learning new languages is always a great opportunity because it will open a lot of doors. You will be able to understand other people and their cultures in a more profound way. Also, you will be qualified for more job opportunities, because of this multi language knowledge.
Game on. This is me playing padel (a racket sport) with friends and family.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
It means getting out of your comfort zone, learning about new cultures, and meeting new people. Traveling has to be one of the best educational experiences for an individual because it will help them grow in a way that allows more understanding of the world and all the people in it while being kind and humble.
What hopes do you have for the future of international education?
I hope it becomes more common for young students, because I feel it is important to learn what these opportunities have to offer. Also, I wish in the future that there are more options that are affordable for students that are trying to mix their education with some international traveling.
