Samford University’s Costa Rica study abroad program has long offered students an immersive global learning experience, blending academic rigor with cultural engagement and spiritual formation. Now, a newly established scholarship will help ensure more students can participate.
Retired Samford faculty member Charlotte Coleman has created the Coleman Family Costa Rica Scholarship Fund, the first endowed scholarship designated specifically for students studying at Finca de Samford, the university’s Costa Rica study center. The annual endowed scholarship honors the legacy of her family while investing in the future of Samford students.
“This scholarship reflects our belief in the transformative power of global education,” Coleman said. “Experiences like studying in Costa Rica open students’ eyes to the wider world and shape who they become personally, academically and spiritually.”
The scholarship will support undergraduate students participating in Samford’s semester program in Costa Rica, regardless of their major. Preference will be given to students with demonstrated financial need, helping reduce barriers for those who might otherwise be unable to study abroad.
Coleman’s passion for Costa Rica and global learning is deeply personal. Her daughter, Erin Coleman Townsley ‘01, MD, first traveled to Costa Rica at age 12 while accompanying her mother, then a Spanish professor at Samford, on a study abroad program.
“My first trip to Costa Rica was life-changing,” Townsley said. “It opened my sheltered, pre-teen world to a culture, language and way of life completely different from my own.”
During that first experience, Townsley lived with a host family, attended Spanish classes and joined Samford students on weekend excursions. The exposure reshaped her understanding of the world and set her academic and professional trajectory.
“That experience allowed me to see that not everyone in the world lived as we did,” she said. “It planted the seed for my desire to serve others.”
As a Samford undergraduate, Townsley returned to Costa Rica for two January terms, fully immersing herself in the language and culture. The welcoming nature of Costa Rican communities helped her gain confidence and fluency in Spanish, skills that later proved pivotal.
“In my senior year, I combined my love of language and medicine by volunteering in emergency departments and clinics, translating for Spanish-speaking patients,” she said.
Her study abroad experience distinguished her during the medical school application process and contributed to her acceptance at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine. Today, Townsley is a practicing physician serving in an underserved community and the Internal Medicine residency program director at Baptist Health.
“I can look back and clearly see how Costa Rica shaped me, not just as a physician, but as a person,” she said.
That long-term impact is exactly what the Coleman family hopes to extend to future Samford students. The scholarship fund was established in honor of Townsley and in memory of David Coleman, celebrating both educational impact and family legacy.
The Costa Rica program aligns closely with Samford’s mission to prepare students for lives of service and leadership grounded in faith.
Samford Global believes study abroad stretches students to gain cultural humility, independence and a deeper understanding of their calling.
For the Colemans, the impact of Costa Rica now spans generations. Townsley recently returned to the country with her own children, witnessing firsthand the same sense of wonder she experienced years earlier.
“As a parent, I now understand the value of exposing children to other cultures,” she said. “I envision many more trips to this beautiful country in our family’s future—pura vida.”
Through the Coleman Family Costa Rica Scholarship Fund, that life-changing experience will now be possible for many more Samford students, ensuring the program continues to shape global citizens for years to come.
To support SamfordGlobal and expand access to study abroad, visit Samford’s giving page.
MORE: SamfordGlobal makes international opportunities accessible
