Parent

My daughter was introduced to the Verto experience in her senior year of high school. She has always been interested in studying abroad and this seemed like a great opportunity for her. I was nervous about her going so far away for so long, but my fears were quickly put to rest seeing how happy and well taken care of my child was while away. She did two semesters with Verto. The first was Latin America followed by South Pacific. Reading and talking about what the students would be doing while away was exciting but the actual experiences my child had was like nothing I could have ever imagined. Of course there were a few hiccups along the way dealing with culture changes and personality differences, but the program leaders and instructors were amazing. My daughter got hurt the first week she was in the Dominican Republic and the program leader called me to tell me everything and made me feel comfortable that she was in good hands and they would keep me updated about her injury. That same program leader was incredible throughout the entire semester, as were the other PLs. The homestays were a favorite of my daughter. Her DR host family treated her like their own and her "mom" taught her Spanish while she taught her mom English. She was also proud of her "dad" and the work he did in the community. While in Fiji, she really enjoyed watching the rugby team and getting to hang out with locals during their free time. The students were not to go anywhere alone and as a parent I appreciated that as an extra safety measure. During the SOPAC semester is when things had to be cut short due to COVID-19 and everyone had to return home. My daughter was heartbroken that she had to leave even though she understood why. The Verto team included the parents in the decisions about what what happening and even started a group chat on WhatsApp for the parents so we could support each other and let everyone know that our children made it home safely. That was very helpful during such a scary time. Class online just finished this week so I am sure there will be a new set of feelings. I cannot say enough about Verto and the entire experience we have had. I would recommend it to anyone that is looking to have an opportunity of a lifetime. This would not be for someone thinking they were going on a "vacation". There were many activities planned that were thoroughly enjoyed, but it is still college work and can be difficult at times. It has been life changing for us with no regrets.