Costa Rica Summer High School Leadership Program

While I was very nervous about how this experience would go, the trip exceeded my expectations and gave me memories to cherish forever. I was scared to be meeting so many new people at once, but the atmosphere quickly softened as we played card games and were introduced to each other. Spending time with the other students broadened my horizons and introduced new perspectives into my life. I loved listening to them sharing their stories, as it made me feel closer to these people I just met.
During this trip, I was able to learn more about others, as well as myself. Being immersed in a new culture and its history allowed me to reflect on my goals for the future. We visited La Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles Church in Cartago, where I got to see the beautiful architecture of this country. Walking around the city took my breath away and reminded me why I want to major in architecture- to create works of art for people. We also had presentations given to us by locals about the impacts of tourism, making me think about how my work can affect others.
The GGLs and the PCs were very caring and took care of us physically and mentally. Our guide, Memo, is a local from Aquiares and knows everything about his hometown- giving us amazing tours around the coffee plantation and waterfalls. I know everyone on our trip misses his silly jokes and bits of knowledge.
I consider this trip a once-in-a-lifetime experience that all should take advantage of. We learned how to become more thoughtful in our actions and how we can positively impact others. Friendships were quickly formed and we created bonds that will last. I hope that others who take this journey feel the positive impact as much as we did.

Global Glimpse was truly a unique and enlightening experience. You really were able to learn more about the culture of a different country without being a tourist. The Costa Rica trip also included a focus on the environment and from this experience, I've learned way more about environmental conservation, the threats to global wildlife and ecosystems, and how to help the environment. This experience has also helped me make a bunch of new friends. Everyone in my group bonded easily and we're still constantly talking and enjoying each other's presence and impact in our lives. Everyone came with their own background that helped contribute and reinforce the eye-opening experience Global Glimpse already is. All of the staff, from the catering to the Program Coordinators to the Global Glimpse Leaders were all so welcoming and supportive. They were all willing to help you with any of your needs and also brought their global experiences which were so insightful and inspiring. One of my favorite moments on the trip was Community Day, a day where you live with a local family and experience what their day-to-day life was like. It was an amazing experience. We got to make empanadas and it was the first time I had tried them or made them and it reminded me of making pizza with my family and the familiarity was really comforting. Even though I was in an entirely different country, I could still feel at home and that's really what makes Global Glimpse so special. They make a different country not feel so foreign, but enable you to really experience the community and culture in a way that makes you feel so comfortable being in a different place. I definitely do not regret going on this trip and I hope it continues to be an amazing experience for everyone else who goes.

The warmth and kindness of the Costa Rican people redefined my understanding of community, fostering a sense of togetherness that I now carry with me in all aspects of my life. Truly a trip I will remember forever.

Through this program I was able to travel to Costa Rica not just for a fun getaway but to also help further develop my leadership skill. Making the decision to actually apply to this program and go on the trip was probably the best decision ever because of all the different activities we did on it, and knowledge that we learned. For example, while on this trip I learned about conservation and why it’s so important. I had an amazing experience and would definitely do it all over again if I could.

My experience traveling to Costa Rica was about lots of learning! I was able be open-minded to new things because it was a new culture so new foods and new ways of living. I learned about sustainability and how it is important to the environment specially countries with a lot of biodiversity like Costa Rica. It made me realize how I want to improve the way the environment is treated. I would like to incorporate this to my future career goals and plans as I am now aware of how we can cause damage to our earth and how it is important to preserve all the nature around us. Ultimately it is part of who we are and something that we rely on to keep us alive. Aside from this, I had an amazing group with me and we had so much fun playing games and just hanging out together.

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I set out on my trip. I've always been more shy than outgoing. But this trip allowed me to step outside of my comfort zone and be the person I've always wanted to be. Being the LDD has significantly altered how I view what it is to be a good and powerful leader. Never leaving anyone behind and constantly keeping an eye on others. My leadership and communication skills were strengthened and developed as a result of this trip. When I signed up for this opportunity, my main goal was to learn more about the culture and ways of life in another country. What I got was so much more, not only did I learn more about the local communities but I was able to grow connections with them. The seminars also taught me so much about where the heart of Costa Rica is and their true love and care for the environment. This journey allowed me to build lifetime bonds but also lifetime lessons that I have now carried into my everyday life. By the time the trip was through, I honestly did not want to return. It was one of the hardest things I've had to do. Saying goodbye is never easy, but I am happy I had something so genuine and special making those goodbyes so hard. Today, this trip remains one of my happiest and most cherished experiences. If you do see this and you are presented with this opportunity, I 100% encourage you to take it, to go out of your comfort zone and make those new connections because I promise you will not regret it!

Global Glimpse's trip to Costa Rica was an amazing experience that nearly left me in tears when we had to leave. The strong bonds the program helped nurture built friendships in a matter of hours instead of weeks. There was always something interesting and fun to do throughout the trip. Activities on the trip always had important and valuable lessons that had plenty of real-world applications. One of my favorites was a seminar about the effects of tourism where the delegation was split into groups to simulate a trial to determine whether a new luxury hotel should be built by the beach. It was activities like these that showed me a new perspective on the world. The skill I developed the most in Costa Rica was leadership, something Global Glimpse clearly aims to improve. Every day, a Leader del Dia (LDD) is chosen to direct the whole delegation and their meetings. It was the perfect way to become more comfortable in leadership roles. By the end of the trip, when everyone was saying their goodbyes, probably over half of us were in tears, refusing to believe we would no longer be living together in the beautiful country of Costa Rica.
My time in Costa Rica didn't just teach me about the country, it also taught me a lot about myself. The trip is a wonderful way to put your skills to the test and see what it would be like to live without your parents for a while. It is an excellent way to sneak a peek at adulthood while solving adult, scratch that, global issues. If you ever have the opportunity to go on a Global Glimpse trip, TAKE IT. Trust me when I say it is an opportunity of a lifetime, you can't miss this.