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Marisa Bianchi ‘26 (geography and sustainability dual major) was searching for an opportunity to apply her interests and skills from her dual major abroad. When she learned about this project, 

“it fit all of my interests I’ve had in my studies at UNH: nutrition, sustainable agriculture, food sovereignty, indigenous legacy, and sustainable supply chains. I could not turn down the opportunity for a grant-funded research project and trip with a group of like-minded people.” 

Nicole Deneau ‘26 (marketing and sustainability dual major) was most surprised by how well they bonded with the people in the community that didn’t speak the same language. 

“We took on the challenge and had fun finding ways to communicate, learn, and bond with the people there. By the end, we had inside jokes, and long chats getting to teach each other our languages and we were so sad to say goodbye."

Riley Bishop ‘26 (international business and economics and sustainability dual major) was eager to stay off the beaten path and try to experience local life on a trip abroad. She was given a deep appreciation for the culture and lifestyles that can be difficult to see authentically through tourism. 

“It is so important to embrace other cultures with open-mindedness and curiosity. This experience further solidified my idea that there is great value in immersing yourself fully into the culture of the country you are traveling in.”

When they started the Thailand project, Abby Kincaid ‘27 (environmental resource economics and sustainability dual major) and the team knew that one trip wouldn’t be enough. 

“We learned about projects that our host organization had wanted to try but didn’t fully have the capacity before, including exploring carbon credits as revenue for the farms or creating maps of the farms. Between all of us, we have taken five classes specific to furthering our work. In addition, I've written one paper for publishing, and Marisa and I are working on a second one now. We are now going back to Thailand this summer with a bigger team to advance the work that we started."

The summer expanded team will continue the collaborative research work, build on their supply chain connections, and create a short documentary on one farmer’s story.