Verto Education - Start College in Turrialba, Costa Rica

I came into this program scared of the unknown, in a new country, with a group of complete strangers. We quickly got very close and realized how much we had in common and embraced our differences. So grateful that we got to enjoy the beautiful country of the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. I bonded very well with the group of 8 students and the program leaders were amazing on all levels. Cared so much for us as individuals and for our success on this program. We had so much fun and learned so much regarding public health, development, identity, and sustainability and now I will be changing my ways coming back home and implementing a lot into my life back home. Wouldn't trade my experience for anything else and this was such a better freshman year. Loved it a lot and would highly recommend.

I had a great experience on this trip. The in-country staff was amazing, and I connected with everyone, students and staff. Jackie and Brian were great, I felt that we had the perfect balance of fun, work and relax time. The excursions were super fun, the catamaran trip was great and I will always remember swimming in the cave. I was skeptical this trip would be more travel and excursion related and not academically rigorous but I'm glad that the classes were so great. I learned so much and I think there is a lot to be said for learning by doing. It was very meaningful to learn about the same things in class as we were learning about at the NGO visits and the fieldwork. The best way to learn something is by seeing it and experiencing it hands-on.

My 3 months in the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica were an amazing time. Had so much fun and having courses that tied directly to what we saw definitely enriched the experience. Learned a ton about myself and got to be meaningfully immersed in other cultures. Program highlights include homestay, meeting students from all over the world, living without electricity, and many side adventures. Great combination of fun and learning.

Favorite part of the program had to be meeting my Costa Rican homestay family. Our dad, Elias was an amazing guy who was so willing to share his stories and experiences. Being on a farm and lending a hand was meaningful and made us more conscious of where our food comes from.

EARTH University was also an amazing part of the program. Sitting down in the cafeteria and having lunch with people from 8 different countries was an experience that I will remember for a long time.