My Verto Experience

Prior to my semester with Verto, I had never left the United States alone. So naturally, I had tons of questions and concerns regarding packing, safety, and of course the kind of education I would be receiving. Verto staff worked with me prior to my departure and answered every question I could think of, and provided me with ample information to make me feel prepared and excited for my journey. Upon arrival, we had a week of orientation to help us adapt to the culture shock, learn about our courses, and tour the town that we would be calling “home” for the next 3 and a half months. All of my professors were fantastic people with good hearts that went the extra mile in every way to ensure that we understood the subject and also how to apply it to real life. The hands-on and immersive learning style fit me extremely well and I definitely retained more information from my courses than I ever did in a traditional classroom setting in high school. The excursions that we went on with Verto such as our trip to Panama, canyoning, white water rafting, hiking the local volcano and cloud forest, were all led very well and I felt that I was in good hands the entire time. The end of the semester brought some of the hardest goodbyes that I’ve ever had to make. My roommates had become family, and the SLC’s felt like parents. The locals I met along the way were the most welcoming and friendly people I’d ever met, and as eager as I was to see my family back home, I never wanted to leave Turrialba. I think everyone should be able to study abroad at least once in their life, and I was fortunate enough to choose Verto to help me get there.