Costa Rica Summer High School Leadership Program

My trip to Turriabla, Costa Rica with the program Global Glimpse was amazing. The place itself is truly incredible with its beautiful biodiversity. The immersion we had in the nature was truly special; from a volcano in sight right outside our home, to the rich, green, rolling hills we were able to view during every excursion truly added to the enjoyment of this trip. Another one of my favorite aspects of being on this trip with Global Glimpse was the opportunity to experience a vastly different culture at a young age. Exploring outside my own customs, learning the rich history of the area we stayed, eating the absolutely delicious food and sharing the time alongside wonderful leaders, and students were some highlights in this process. I thoroughly enjoyed the connection to the local culture through this program, for example visiting and being welcomed by local families into their homes and partaking in a service project for the community we stayed in. Having the pleasure of hearing from intelligent guest speakers on climate justice opened up some new ideas, understanding, and hope for me as a young person. Global Glimpse is a brilliant program in its ability to bring together different students into such a deepening and impactful one of a time experience. I am forever grateful for my time spent there, the lessons I learned including social, global, and personal ones, the wonderful people I met, the incredible chefs and guest speakers, and the confidence to travel and explore more! I highly recommend Global Glimpse as it remains a well developed and inclusive program- one to either further your travels, or begin them!

Global Glimpse is an outstanding program that has given me the privilege to get to know another country that has been on my bucket list for a while now. The friends that you get to make, the sights you get to see is a core memory that Global Glimpse makes you have. The opportunity to hear perspectives of locals working or living in Costa Rica has changed my perspective of life. Working on a project with a purpose of creating a better community helped me want to create a better community here at home.

This summer I got the chance to travel to Turrialba, Costa Rica with 21 other Bay Area students through the Global Glimpse program. As someone who is not super outspoken and shy and had never been out of the country before, this trip changed my life. Not only was it my first time out of the country it also allowed me to make long lasting connections with 21 other incredible students. During my trip I got to involve myself in new things and learn about the country I was staying in. I got to go out of my comfort zone when we worked on our CAP (Community Action Project). I have never had to mix cement before or do work like that in any capacity. And being able to do it there in Costa Rica where it would benefit a school was completely worth it. I would step out of my comfort zone 100 times over again if it meant I got to do work that would benefit the people of the community I was able to stay in.

Some might be skeptical of how once you arrive within the country you are traveling to, your phone gets taken away. Having my phone get taken away was personally a good thing for me. It allowed me to live in the moment with all my peers and really take in all that was around me. Costa Rica is such a biodiverse country so I'm glad that I didn't have my phone or else I feel like I would've been buried in it. Also because my phone got taken away, I was able to connect with the people on my trip more. If we all had our phones I feel like none of us would have been as close to each other as we are. So I am grateful that on this trip it was a no phones environment so I was able to take in my surroundings and genuinely bond with all the people I was there with.

Some of my favorite moments while in Costa Rica was during the free time we had while at the house. It was so nice to be able to bond with everyone when we had free time. We would play games, do a little bit of drawing, or just talk. Being able to be so close with all the people on my trip and getting to call them all my friends was incredible. Towards the end of the trip, a couple days before we had to leave, some of us sat down and drew pictures of each other. This is something I will always remember because it was just so much fun to draw with everyone and goof around. After we did our drawings, we hung them up all around the kitchen and up on the fridge. This was one of my favorite bonding moments. Another one of my favorite moments was during Community Day, where we got to spend a day with a local family in the community. I was so grateful to be able to spend a day with a local family since I got to see how another family lived. They allowed us into their home for the day and treated us just like we were apart of their family. They took us on a hike and we got to see the nature that they live around everyday. After the hike we got to eat a meal that they made and then made tortillas with them.

Being able to travel through Global Glimpse to another country and then assist the local community was a life changing experience. I made lifelong friends and I gained experience that will stick with me forever. I was able to have a successful trip where I learned about Costa Rica, leadership, and myself because of the four Global Glimpse Leaders that accompanied us and made sure we were all safe, learning, and having fun.

These 2 weeks in Costa Rica is something I would never trade anything for and an experience I will never forget. I am so grateful that Global Glimpse offers this opportunity to so many students and I was able to apply. Before the trip, I was thinking that 2 weeks is a long time and I'm going to miss being home. However, now that the trip has ended, I wish to relive those 2 weeks again.
I was in a room with 5 other girls and it was truly amazing. Every night, we would chat a little in bed before going to sleep. Every morning, we would all squish together in the bathroom and try to get ready at the same time. My bunkmate would braid my hair every morning and we matched hairstyles for most days. It was so nice to live together with other girls for 2 weeks and I felt like I had a constant support system. For every meal, all 22 students and the 4 adults would eat together. I loved eating at a large dining table and enjoying every meal with the people I love. Not to mention, there were fresh fruit juices accompanied by every meal. I would wake up every morning to the sound of birds and sometimes even to the chattering and laughter of our friends. We were surrounded by trees and the beauty of nature. Sometimes I would sit at the swinging bench at our accommodation and just look out into the view. Costa Rica is so beautiful and I loved where we stayed.
There were numerous moments throughout this trip that I could talk on and on about. However, one of my favorite days would be Community Day. We went to a local family's house and spent the day there. We got to cook together with the family and learn a couple of games. I am extremely glad that I got to learn how to play the game Rummy. Because of this game, I was able to form close relationships with some people. After this day, I continued to play Rummy with two of my friends and our Program Coordinator, Memo, every day. This simple game brought me many memories. Another memory that I will never forget would be jumping into the pool with everyone else while all of us were still fully dressed. It was sprinkling at that time but everyone still jumped in anyway. All of us were just laughing and splashing water at each other in the pool and it was truly one of the moments where my heart felt so full.
On this trip, we were also able to learn about the culture and history of Costa Rica. We had three seminars throughout this trip and even learned about local businesses. The Community Action Project was certainly another significant part of this trip. We had to make cement and build a path for the kids at Aquiares School. All of us had to work together and teamwork was an important aspect of this project.
Thank you Global Glimpse for offering this amazing opportunity to me. Thank you to our PCs for giving guidance to us and being such great leaders. A special thank you to Memo for making us laugh and playing games with us, adding so much joy to the trip. I was able to not only form long-lasting memories but also build my leadership skills and learn the importance of community. I felt so seen, acknowledged, loved, and appreciated on this trip. This trip taught me that people love and appreciate you for who you are. Costa Rica and the people from this trip will forever hold a place in my heart and soul. Trust me, you will not regret going on this trip.

I was Leader of the Day on our first Cap Day 1 project. I had an idea to decorate the walls with a design instead of leaving them blank, and so I worked with the students in "design meetings" before Cap Day, talked with the GG leaders if it was possible, presented my ideas to the school board of Eslabon, and ultimately worked as a team with my student group to draw out the designs, outline them, and color them in. I felt that I grew as a leader and as someone who take initiative through this exp.

My two weeks in Costa Rica have impacted me more than any school experience I’ve ever had, and that is not an exaggeration. From the moment I arrived at the airport, I felt a whirl of emotions. All the anticipation and excitement had led to this moment, but what truly awaited me in this new destination of mine? Never would I have imagined I would have seen, felt, and experienced so much beauty through the nature which could only be appreciated without technology. When we arrived at the San Jose airport in Costa Rica, my trip mates began buzzing with conversation, sharing their thoughts and hopes for the trip. The bus ride to the hotel only made our excitement grow as our PCs warmed up to us and talked about how the trip would go. A sense of community was established from that moment, as we all shared the same drive for a new experience. We all shared snacks and stories about our lives back home, not realizing we were making new memories which we would tell once we got back to our usual lives. The simple act of sharing was enough to bring us closer than most people for only two weeks. We shared encouraging words, and showed lots of care through every activity. Learning about the history of a place and its people has a profound impact, much more than simply learning it from your desk in a dimly lit classroom, where most of your peers have their heads down. The CAP project squeezed the energy out of us, but with it came the opportunity to create change, and this change did not only blossom through our work; it reflected itself back to us, with a sensation if accomplishment and a newfound purpose growing in our chests. A fond memory of mine is of when we finished our last CAP day. After walking back home, feeling exhausted and hungry, the PCs and GGLs had no clue that we still had something in us… we all jumped into the pool from our accommodation with our clothes still on! The laughter could be heard from afar, and although the water turned grey from the dust and cement, our experience became golden. By the end of the trip around the last few days, we spent as much time together as possible, bonding over silly little drawings and tubs of ice cream. We shared things that meant a lot to us, and then it was time to say goodbye. We ate our final lunch at the base house, and thanked our chefs for their outstanding meals and love which was present in every bite. We had our final nightly meeting at the hotel and the next day, it was time to say goodbye. We were unfortunately split into two groups for our final flight, and this was the hardest part. Hugs, goodbyes, and thank you’s were exchanged. We couldn’t stop the tears from flowing, but we promised we would see each other again, and we most certainly have. This trip truly has been an adventure of a lifetime, with experiences, memories, and friends that we’ll cherish for as long as we live. Thank you to all the supporters who made this possible, and never miss out on opportunities such as this one, for you too can experience something as great as this.

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.