Alumni Spotlight: Veronica Gomez

I knew I wanted to teach abroad as a volunteer and it was difficult to settle on one organization to go with.

I chose Teach and lLearn because they offered a really good volunteer package and after speaking with them I knew that the program would be a good fit for me.

The staff were really helpful in the lead up to volunteering. I´d volunteered abroad before so even though things like travel insurance and flight booking were all familiar to me, they gave me a lot of useful information.

It was my first time in Costa Rica so I had a lot of questions but they were all answered so I felt prepared for my trip. When I arrived in Costa Rica I was met by a staff member and driven to the project were I was given a briefing, this (and meeting the other volunteers) really helped me feel settled in quickly.

If I had one piece of advice to give to someone thinking of volunteering it would be to travel light. I brought a lot of stuff that I didn't need so next time I will save on my flight cost by taking less stuff.

The one thing I'd say to any prospective volunteer is that Costa Rica is a really welcoming and friendly country.

I have volunteered abroad before and without a doubt my time in Costa Rica was the most fun and enjoyable experience. I'm happy that I made the choice to go!

The volunteering was split into different shifts, some mornings and some afternoons/evenings. The morning classes were the younger kids and the afternoons were the teenagers and adults.

Most of the work was at a community children's project and also a local school. I started by helping the teachers in the classes but after getting used to everything I got to contribute some of my own ideas and even got to lead some classes.

I also helped with some art projects in the classroom and did some tutoring. It was a fun experience and I also felt like I learned a lot too.

In my free time I would hang out in the gardens or at the pool with the other volunteers, we would usually eat together in the evenings and at the weekends go to the local bar.

We'd usually manage to a trip each weekend too, Costa Rica is a beautiful country and Grecia is a great base to explore from.

I had never taught before this experience, and apart from some babysitting I had little experience working with children. I was worried that the work would be too difficult or the kids might not like me as their teacher.

After the first few classes I felt relaxed and the kids were curious about finding out about me. By the time I left I felt like I'd made a connection to them and their lives.

After returning home I enrolled in a teaching course and I feel like my time in Costa Rica has given me an advantage as a teacher.