By Eduardo Cejudo
Possibly, wines are the introductory letter for Chile, the American "Finis Terrae". But not only the wine is representative of this South American country, Chile also contributes to the world with high-quality, human capital; and this time, through these lines we will met Rodrigo Herrera. Rodrigo was born and raised in Santiago, Chile's bustling capital of nearly 6 million people. With a major on Civil Engineer degree from the University of Chile, his line during the undergrad studies were focused on an area called hydraulic and environmental health, which is the study of water in relation to human settlements and natural areas. Subsequently, he worked for Consultant companies asked to conduct studies used by the Mining industry, especially what he calls "the water availability of certain ecosystems, where mining is intense. Rodrigo recalled the challenges faced with particular case. "The mines in northern Chile are established in the mountains, at high altitudes; since they use groundwater in an area where water is scarce, the exploitation must be taken into account to carefully determine how much water can be used, since the same water maintains sensitive ecosystems, such as salt lakes and wetlands. In some of these salt lakes, flamingos live and nest, that is why conserving these ecosystems is important". Let suppose that the mine is a tank, and the salt lake is another tank, both connected to each other: if we consume too much water from a tank, they will tend to level off, for they are connected; this way if you use lots of water from one tank, the other will have less water than the necessary, that it exactly what happens in Northern Chile.
Rodrigo is currently pursuing a Master degree at the University of Waterloo, carrying out a study that will provide valuable information about aquifer recharge in the south area of Cambridge. His knowledge put into practice, will allow better understanding of groundwater flows in order to achieve a better management of the water we use, and how to use it wisely.
"From the distance (in Chile), it gives you the impression that all North America is the same" said Rodrigo, "but our stay here has allowed us to bring down several myths about North America; we have had very good experience thanks to everyone that we have known, whether foreigners or Canadians, allowing us to know the world's cultural diversity even in a small city like Waterloo". Rodrigo share joys and sorrows with Claudia, the companion of his life, and there is no much doubt in his voice when says that they would like to return to their country, explaining that "our professional projection will allow us to have a good performance and quality of life in Chile, which is a privileged position, to which not many Chileans (students) could gain access". Talking with Rodrigo, though brief, was a plethora of thoughts about the great opportunities that a stay in another country provides, weigh up and evaluate what we have in our countries and firsthand experience that adding up work, effort and luck is the actual combination necessary for success in life.