Verto Education - Start College in Turrialba, Costa Rica

I found out about Verto Education at a time in my life when I really needed to know that there was another way for me to begin life after high school. I feel so lucky to have been able to travel with Verto as it was a truly challenging and rewarding experience that made me a better and more educated person. Not only is it great for earning college credit and learning in new and strange environments, but it's extremely fun and you'll meet so many great people that become so important to you. Every experience is probably one you've never done before and one that you'll remember forever.

I found my senior year of high school to be quite stressful and discouraging. I felt as though I was the only one who didn't have a concrete idea of what they wanted to do or where they wanted to go. I didn't get that "feeling" that every college tour guide describes, I had felt lost. When I was just about ready to give up on my ideal college experience I was introduced to Verto Education. Hearing about Verto, I felt that it was way too good to be true and that there must have been some kind of catch. However, almost a year and 2 college semesters with Verto later, I can confidently say the reality of Verto is better than I could've imagined. After traveling to 4 beautiful counties with Verto and meeting amazing students and even more phenomenal program leaders not only have I found confidence and clarity in myself but the world around me as well. I cannot thank Verto and its staff enough for giving me my excitement for the future back.

As parents, Verto offered an unparalleled and crucial experience for our daughter as she launched her academic career. Over the past three months, she lived in two countries, was part of a vibrant community of students and teachers, and learned about her passion for environmental studies through hands-on experiences and professionals in the field. Through all this and more, she has gained independence, confidence in her ability to keep up with the rigors of academics, and a greater hunger to learn more and make a difference in the world. While she was away, Verto Education regularly gave us updates with great photos(!) and had her safety and well-being as a priority. We would not hesitate to recommend this program to others. Verto Education delivers as advertised! A great freshman year, indeed.
Christy Tull and Bill Tijerina

Excellent program for our daughter that was focused on both academics and service. We are very happy and it's definitely an experience we would like to give our younger kids in the future. Awesome work by the leaders on teaching college bound students on life skills and time management. I was one of those parents that new very little about the program but was reassured by High Point University that the program was safe and transformative. I'm glad I decided to embark my daughter on this trip for her first semester of college. She is ready to continue her studies in a college environment with a different perspective of life. For all the parents that are hesitant on sending their child to study abroad, do not be afraid. It is a supervised program with great leaders.

Verto education is a great first semester abroad program for anyone that loves traveling, learning, and even maybe getting out of their comfort zone. The experiences that we had with NGO's, homestays and hikes really showed us all about the country and taught us more. The site visits really tied to our classwork and helped us learn about what we learned in class but with hands on. Verto Education is a very hands-on experience when it comes to classwork and learning but they also have many fun trips throughout the semester we are abroad. Highly recommend this gap year program to anyone. The group leaders are also very helpful with school work and want you to be successful throughout the semester they are very helpful with everything and are always there to help you and make you better at what you're struggling at.

My experience with Verto Education was a life-altering one and arduous one. However, I could never be more grateful for what it has taught me. I realized things about myself that I didn't know before. I plan on returning back to my initial homestay, the Dominican Republic has a place within my heart. I learned a tremendous amount from the NGO's and really felt that I was intellectually fulfilled. The classes touched every aspect that interested me. I want to acknowledge my leaders Jackie and Brian for truly caring for my self growth and well being as a student. Verto Education actually fulfilled my lifelong dream of staying with an indigenous community! I work with Aboriginals from Australia and loved learning about the Bri Bri culture. I would 110 percent recommend this program to someone else.

I really enjoyed this program because I got to travel while also taking classes and being intellectually stimulated as well as getting credits for university. That was my dream all along. One of my favorite parts was going to the Bateyes and building latrines. Even though it was very physically difficult, it was super impactful to see where these people live in small towns in the sugar cane fields and then learning in class about the problems in the DR with Haitian citizenship and women's issues. I also loved playing basketball with some of the school kids and having lunch with them, and dancing with the locals after expressing our gratitude for them letting us into their community showing us their lives. This was a once in a lifetime experience and I really got to walk in other peoples shoes. I have much more empathy and passion for other cultures than I ever had before.

This trip has definitely given me the opportunity to grow independently, and i'm glad i had the opportunity to meet all of the people i was able to meet in the communities, and the other student and program leaders on the trip. The service work felt powerful, but i would definitely tell people the experience with everyone was the highlight of my trip on Verto. The connections i made with the students here, and the program leaders i would be able to tell my kids about. The classes are absolutely amazing even if the topic doesn't particularly interesting to me i found it extremely engaging and enjoyable. There are many important things I learned on the trip that i never would have learned outside this program. The classes gave me a lot of historical, environmental, public health, and development insight.