“Coffee, chocolate and cannabis” may sound like some people’s idea of a good way to spend a weekend. But, for one Florida Gulf Coast University senior, it summarizes the focus of an immersive study-abroad program examining agroecology and entrepreneurship in the mountains of Thailand.
Nathan South, an Honors College biology major minoring in entrepreneurship, spent six weeks over the summer learning about Thailand’s coffee, chocolate and cannabis industries and their history, production processes and economic significance.
The opportunity was made possible by the International Sustainable Development Studies Institute based in northern Thailand, with support from FGCU’s study abroad advisors in the Global Engagement Office who first told South about the program. The institute provides programs focused on ecological, cultural and sustainability issues in collaboration with Thai communities.
Born in Hawaii and raised in Tampa, South also completed an internship while in Thailand, working on a coffee farm and conducting research on how coffee is grown and how it gets its flavor.
From classroom to farm
For the first two weeks in the city of Chiang Mai, South and other students studied all three crops — coffee, cacao and cannabis. “We covered general concepts on each plant, understanding how they grow and their historical and cultural significance globally and within the country,” he said.
“After the classroom, we took field trips to local farms to see the practices in action. When we learned about coffee, we went to Doi Saket to Nine One coffee farm and stayed a night to learn about sustainable coffee farming and specialty coffee activities. When we covered cannabis, we traveled to Lamphun to Rimping Best Flower to visit their indoor and outdoor farm and see every step of the process of cannabis cultivation,” he said.
South’s instructor for the chocolate portion of the program also was a chocolatier operating Siamaya chocolate company. “They craft high-quality chocolate with unique flavors like khao soi, a very popular savory chicken and noodle dish served in Thailand,” South said. “We got to visit his factory and make our very own bars of chocolate.”
For his internship, South traveled to Mae Hong Son, a mountainous province in northern Thailand. “I worked at the Huay Hom commercial coffee farm that sells beans to Starbucks and other places around the country,” he said. “I lived there with the village leader and his family, learning the ins and outs of how coffee is farmed while conducting research on how coffee can get such diverse flavors depending on how you cultivate it.”
Expanding his science background
After graduating, South plans to pursue a master’s degree in biomedical sciences or engineering and then a doctorate — with an eventual goal of becoming an astronaut. He believes his study-abroad experiences will enhance his efforts to fulfil those ambitions. He previously spent a summer studying at Harlaxton College in England.
“This program broadened my perspective within the sciences and gave me the opportunity for hands-on research within agroecology and agronomy. It provided me more appreciation in constant agricultural practices that keep the world going around daily,” he said. “It also made me inquire how I could apply agricultural studies in a space science perspective, since I am already engaged in research studying biological space science.”
South is the first FGCU student to participate in an International Sustainable Development Studies Institute program. He credits the Global Engagement Office for connecting him with the institute and finding scholarship assistance.
“I was on the fence about joining this program because I was financially strained, worried about graduating on time and pursuing other opportunities that could support my career,” he said. “I learned almost last minute that I was able to have some scholarships that could pay for the program, and that this program offered an internship opportunity as well as a research project to conduct while in the internship, which checked all my boxes.”
A transformative experience
The Global Engagement Office helped more than 350 FGCU undergraduates participate in international experiences during the 2024-25 academic year, said Dechen Albero, assistant director for study abroad programs. Interested students can learn more on the website or by emailing [email protected].
“Study abroad is transformative for students in many ways,” Albero said. “They are exposed to a new culture, language and way of living. They meet people from all over the world and learn about different ways of knowing, doing and being in the world. They develop tangible skills like the ability to adapt to changing situations and communicate cross-culturally.”
Most FGCU students who study abroad choose a large European capital city where they attend classes on a university campus, Albero said, but South selected a unique immersive, field-based program. “I wish more students would consider stepping outside of their comfort zone and consider these types of field-based experiences as they are often once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that hold immeasurable value both personally and professionally,” he said.
South did offer a warning to those who follow in his footsteps with a java-themed internship. “Be prepared to become a complete coffee snob when you come back,” he joked. “I’ve been enlightened on what a good cup of coffee should taste like. I haven’t been the same man since.”