Hi, my name is Adam Schaich and I am participating in the College of Charleston Maymester Study Abroad to Panamá. This trip is specifically focusing on the Panamá Canal, its operations, and the business impact in both the local community and the country as a whole. Today, I would like to share my experience in the “global classroom.” Through studying abroad and participating in hands on, on-site visits to a number of business operations, I have learned more in my short time here than would be possible in a whole semester in a traditional classroom.
The most important and exciting day of the trip was Wednesday, May 22, 2024; on this day the group traveled to see the Miraflores Canal Locks as well as the Panamá Metro operators. We began by visiting the central office of el Metro de Panamá. Here, we were able to see the main location where all of the dozens of train cars and hundreds of conductors start their job of connecting Panamá City. The Panamá Metro consists of two main lines, with a third under construction. The operations manager was able to give us a detailed overview of the existing operations, the construction progress on the third line, and future plans for expansion. It was very interesting to learn about how the Panamá Canal affects the metro and commuters; there are only two key bridges over the canal close enough to the city to be useful for commuting, so the third canal line will create the crucial link between the east part of the city, where many offices and workspaces are, and the west part of the city, where at least half a million Panamanians currently live. Finally, we were shown the training room for tr
ain conductors and were even given the chance to use the metro car conductor simulator. This experience was great for seeing how infrastructure problems are overcome in other countries.
Next, after a brief stop for lunch at a plaza, the group visited one of the original set of Panamá Canal locks built by the Americans back in the first decade of the 1900s. At the Miraflores Visitor center, we were able to get within fifty feet of the canal itself. The group and I, along with many other tourists and onlookers, watched with awe as massive ships were slowly brought into the canal locks, tethered to electric locomotives for steering, and barred in by gates the size of small buildings. From then, it was incredible to see the water lower the gargantuan ship twenty-five feet in a matter of minutes, befor
e it moved to the next lock. It was truly incredible to see American engineering from over one hundred years ago work in tandem with Panamanians who are experts on the process at the canal. Being able to see such a critical piece of global shipping infrastructure up close and personal was truly a once in a lifetime experience and I’m very grateful for the study abroad opportunity.