Staff Spotlight: Alexis Wren

Alexis is from Augusta, Georgia, and moved to Costa Rica 4 years ago after an amazing study abroad experience. Now she seeks to bring this same type of exhilarating opportunity to students from all over the world in her position with the university.

Oh wow, how can I narrow it down to just one? I suppose my favorite trip has been a three-week experience through the Balkan countries with my best friend and two of his friends. We went in July 2016 and visited five countries together. The whole trip was such an amazing cultural experience.

To be honest, I hadn't even heard of three of the countries we visited before arriving. It was such a joy to arrive in a country and have no expectations - every experience was a surprise. I learned so much history on that trip; for example, we toured the bunkers of Albania - look it up! The story is fascinating.

In the short time I have worked in study abroad, I have learned so much about how different each student and group that travel is, and how important it is to really understand the needs of every visitor to ensure their happiness and a successful trip.

Having done so much solo and self-organized travel myself, I had this assumption that everyone kind of just did their own thing on trips and that they didn't really need to rely on me that much. Totally wrong - most people like having their trips to be organized and coordinated, but you can't apply one itinerary to every person and hope for success. Each person needs a personalized experience so that they can really get the maximum benefit of traveling.

Several years ago, a group of students was visiting for a natural history and photography trip...all of the students had an amazing experience.

One student in particular, though, had an incredible and life-changing experience, and because of that, she ended up moving to Costa Rica a couple years later, once she had graduated.

Now, after four years of living in Costa Rica, she has landed her dream job working in Study Abroad and has the opportunity to organize the same type of experience that she had several years ago.

Sound familiar? It's my story! :) Probably the best example I can give of a successful trip!

Right now, all of our programs are based solely in Costa Rica, and I have had the amazing opportunity to see most of the places on our itineraries. One thing I haven't done, though, is participating in a homestay, and that is something I would love to do! I love the Costa Rican culture and I've obviously immersed myself in it, but at the same time, I haven't had the opportunity to stay with a Costa Rican family overnight, and I think it would be so fun to spend a week or two living with a family and learning how to make tortillas and speaking 100% in Spanish.

Our company is unique in that we personalize every itinerary 100%. It takes a lot of manpower, but the end result is so worth it. Personalization is key because no one trip is going to be enjoyed by every visitor. This personalization also allows us to accommodate a more diverse population, including individuals who may be reluctant to travel, or who need special accommodations for a disability, allergy. or food restriction.

Passion, hands down. Even if you're able to coordinate and design beautiful trips, travelers are going to know the second they meet you if you're not thrilled about your country and your work. We are all passionate about traveling around and sharing Costa Rica, and we are able to show that passion to our visitors through our actions and attitudes while they are here with us.