This past summer, a group of 13 students and World Language teachers Chris Casey and Taylor Schroeder spent two weeks in Costa Rica to learn and explore the culture.

During the trip, travelers participated in a variety of activities ranging from sightseeing to hands-on experiences. Senior Ella Viera describes all the activities she participated in as “eye-opening.” 

One of the activities the group     participated in was helping to clean up the yard at a daycare. Viera noticed that even though the kids didn’t have much, they still showed her and the group a great amount of grace and kindness. 

“The language barrier was a real thing,” Viera said, “but our effort to talk with the kids made them very happy. It was fun, after we were done working, sitting with the kids and eating pineapple.” She said she believes that the kids helped the group in return, by showing them kindness and grace. 

Experiencing success and challenges brought the group closer together, according to Viera. One challenge the group faced was many students became sick, causing them to miss out on events. She said that although it wasn’t fun that they all got sick, “it was encouraging to see how the group supported each other and remained positive through it all.” 

She said she believes that despite the challenge, the connection and friendship between the group only became stronger. She said her biggest takeaway was learning about the “different ways that people interpret and experience life.”