Costa Rica Summer High School Leadership Program

My global glimpse trip to Costa Rica was really a life changing and unforgettable moment. This experience really change my perspective on the world. My memorable moment will either be Community day where we spent a whole day with a local family. Spending time with them and participating in cultural activities also helped me appreciate the strength and traditions of the people we met. My other memorable moment was our CAP days, where we spent our time to paint and plaster the wall of Santa Rosa School. It was really amazing to work alongside my peers that I grew stronger friendships with over the course of these 2 weeks. Also knowing that we are making a small but meaningful difference. To add on the overall mix of structured activities and free time throughout the course of this trip allowed my group to get to know each other better, and nightly reflections gave us the chance to really think about what we were learning. Our Global Glimpse Leaders and Program Coordinators were super supportive, helping us step up as leaders and face any challenges that came our way. By the end of the trip, I had a much better understanding of what it means to be a global citizen and realized how important it is to take action, even in small ways, to make a positive impact.

Honestly i don’t know where to begin, the whole trip with Global Glimpse was an amazing experience! The 2 week went by really quick, i love all the memories i’ve made. My experience was something i’ve never would’ve imagined, i loved all the amazing interacting experiences we had. All the funny/wonderful experiences we all shared together. This trip helped me realize a lot, to live in the moment, to take in every aspect of my day, to enjoy the moment with new friends. I love how me and my group got super close within the first 2 days!

My experience with Global Glimpse was the most eye-opening and remarkable experience I’ve ever had throughout my high school years. I knowingly stepped into a new environment with new people in order to make new connections and have new experiences. One of the best memories I have is a sad one, but it doesn’t end sad. During dinner, I was feeling very sad so I went away to breakaway from the group on campus to have some peace. I started crying, but a couple minutes later my friends found me and comforted me. They let me know I wasn’t alone and they were always there for me and vice versa. That was one of the best moments on my trip because I knew that I had met awesome people that I will stay friends with throughout my life. We all went through huge experiences and made great memories with each other in Costa Rica. Overall, Global Glimpse was a 10 out of 10 experience I would do again. Big Love!

My trip lasted 2 weeks including travel and overall was a great experience for personal growth and leadership. Over the two weeks I met peers who inspired me and helped me along the journey, creating long lasting bonds and memories that will last a lifetime. We went on multiple guided tours including the city of Cartago and a local coffee plantation. My personal favorite was when we visited “finca la florita”, a cheese factory, the owner was very sweet and had games and activities for us to teach us about how she made her artisanal cheese while maintaining a light eco footprint. I recommend this to all of my peers and anyone with the chance because it is truly a blessing.

My experience with Global Glimpse was one of the most amazing and fun outgoing experiences of all time. I was selected to go to Costa Rica, it was my first time going to a travel a place out further from home. Within this experience, I had a big growth socially with others around me. I got to build courage for myself to go out there and do stuff out of my comfort zone. I thank Global Glimpse for this beautiful experince, I made friends and built up my leadership skills, and I am grateful. I learned a lot about Costa Rica and its main history it was awesome to learn a new culture out of mine. Thank you Global Glimpse!

This summer I traveled to Costa Rica with the help of a partnered organization at my school called Global Glimpse. I had never traveled outside of my country or flew on a plane before so hearing about this opportunity really interested me. It was a two-week trip with many activities planned out for us students. Arriving in Turrialba, Costa Rica, we went to our accommodation, Siloe Lodge, where we would be staying for the entirety of the two weeks. There was wildlife EVERYWHERE. From small insects such as leaf-cutter ants and crickets, to big animals like toads. Before going on this trip, I HATED insects, but after visiting a place where there was great biodiversity, I quickly lost the fear of bugs. If you are interested in taking this opportunity, don’t let fears hold you back, because it truly is amazing and the memories you create will be unforgettable! Some memorable memories from my experience were going to a cheese farm and getting to milk a cow to make cheese, going to a waterfall and swimming in the stream, and our community action project. For our community action project, we painted two classrooms at an elementary school called Eslabón. Though it may sound difficult, together, we sanded and cleaned the walls, then painted and drew butterfly designs on the walls, all while singing and dancing lol! If you are able to, I highly recommend taking this opportunity. Have an open mind, and be willing to try new things. Many memories and new experiences will be made!

Hi! My name is Bridgett Ramirez and I was on the T2A-BAY trip. I want to start of by saying how thankful I am to Global Glimpse for offering these amazing opportunities and being a wonderful program. It was my first time traveling out of the country and I wouldn't change anything about it. Costa Rica is a beautiful country with a vibrant culture. I loved connecting with all the other glimpsers and making friends. I felt a genuine connection with the locals they were very welcoming and made it feel more like home, not having access to technology allowed me to fully soak in every moment and experience. The Global Glimpse staff were always very attentive and encouraging and made it a very enjoyable experience. I will forever remember the people I met on this trip, whether we were visiting the local store or hiking every moment was wonderful. Looking back, I realize how much this trip has shaped me. When I first heard about Glopal Glimpse I was unsure if I wanted to participate because I wasn't going to have access to my phone but to be honest you'll forget about your phone because you'll be connecting with people and enjoying what's around you, It taught me to appreciate the simple things in life and get out of my comfort zone. I'm deeply thankful to Global Glimpse for this unforgettable journey and the incredible people I met.

I like how the Global Glimpse staff welcomed me, encouraged me, and made me feel comfortable approaching them. During a pre-trip workshop and my time in Costa Rica, the staff encouraged my group to get out of our comfort zone in order to grow. Furthermore, during the trip, a program coordinator encouraged me to be myself. Global Glimpse staff help build an environment where people are accepted and respected. The adult leaders constantly checked in on my and other students’ physical and mental state. The trip was well-planned and organized to ensure the safety and health of students. For example, the adult leaders had electrolytes, which they were able to administer to many of the students when we experienced diarrhea. Furthermore, Global Glimpse staff is always trying to improve by welcoming us to give feedback mid-trip, end of the trip, and after the trip.

In Costa Rica, I interacted with Costa Rican locals by:
Playing soccer with them
Greeting them (they greeted back welcomingly)
Practicing Spanish with them
making tortillas with a local family

Furthermore, I learned about environmental justice and sustainable development and became more interested in contributing to them. My group painted a school with limited resources in a way that leaves a sustainable impact and protects the environment. (We made sure the project contributed to sustainable development by making sure that the paint would stay on by sandpapering the wall and scraping off old paint that was falling off, as well as protecting the environment by using biodegradable paint so when we washed the paint from the brush, the paint doesn’t go down the drain then harm the ecosystem)

During free time, I enjoyed playing games like Mafia and card games (like Egyptian war and Speed). Overall, I had a positive experience with Global Glimpse.