Global Works

I really enjoyed going on the service trip. I was able to meet many people from many different walks of life. It was interesting to compare and contrast how different people went about different situations, both socially and personally. The housing was great, aside from a lack of hot water sometimes. Food was good, considering I am a vegetarian, and I was still able to find things to eat. Counselors were very relatable, which also added some more intrigue to the thing as a whole. Overall, the experience was great.

This past summer, my cousin Ana and I had the incredible opportunity to participate in a Costa Rican summer service volunteer program, and it was honestly one of the most enriching experiences of our lives. We had initially chosen this program because we were excited about the chance to surf in Costa Rica – but the service component turned out to be the highlight of our trip.

From the beginning, we felt supported and welcomed by our program leaders, who were not only super fun but also great mentors. They created an environment where we could learn, grow, and genuinely connect with the local community. Their energy and passion for the work they were doing made everything even more impactful, and we learned so much from them both on and off the field.

The best part of the experience, though, was staying with local families in the community. The warmth and hospitality they showed us were beyond anything we expected, and living with them truly changed my perspective on life. The bonds we formed were so strong that I’m happy to say I still keep in touch with the family I stayed with, which has been such a rewarding connection to maintain.

The Costa Rica service adventure was amazing and definitely the highlight of my summer! I did not want to leave the great friends, leaders, and community I found by the end of the trip. I know I will have these memories for the rest of my life including, hanging out at the beautiful beaches with the new friends I made and sitting in hammocks on top of a huge mountain playing guitar and singing songs. Arriving there I was very sad and scared to leave my home and by the end I felt the same but I had a new meaning of home.

I was initially pretty nervous to go on this trip, I've never done anything like it before, so I was totally blind when committing to this. On the first drive from the airport to the hotel I sat next to someone who I became great friends with and we literally sat next to each other every bus drive for the next two weeks. I met some really cool people and there was always something to talk about.
I think the best thing about a trip like this is that it really pushed me outside my comfort zone in a lot of ways.Yet there was still a lot of structure and support from the counselors, who were all incredibly nice and were incredible at communicating with everyone and making sure we were having a good experience. I learned so much and I would really encourage people to try it out even if they're nervous because it was a truly amazing experience.

So I went to the pre med program and it honestly was the best summer of my entire life, we were given very interesting lessons about first aids, ate delicious food and made good friends. As a latino, this helped me to practice my english, and to be a sort of bridge between the american and latin american culture, which I enjoyed a lot. Leaving the cultural part aside, I am really thankful for the experiences I had at the clinic and at the first aids course, because I realized that I am truly into medicine.