My Summer with Beyond Study Abroad
An Adventure in Costa Rica for Student-Athletes
Last summer, I spent 6-weeks in Costa Rica with Beyond Study Abroad. I want to spread the word about this opportunity so please share with people who might be interested!
Beyond Study Abroad 2011
- Spanish Classes
In my Spanish Literature class, I enjoyed personal attention not available in traditional Spanish classes. Discussing the texts one-on-one felt more like a conversation than a lecture. While the class was difficult, my teacher was able to slow down or speed up according to my needs.
- Adventure Excursions
On the weekends, we traveled to amazing beaches and went zip lining in the rain forest and over waterfalls around the volcano.
- Service Learning
Coming into the program, I was most nervous about running the Sports Camp. Organizing activities for children is hard enough; add in a language barrier and I had no idea what I was going to do. We took a bit of a sink or swim approach. Josh, the program director, came with us the first few times but after that we were on our own. Like my soccer skills, my Spanish vocabulary was on a level similar to the campers. This helped with my Spanish more than anything else.
- Training
Beyond track and field athletes are able to train at University of Costa Rica's track facility which provides everything you need. The weight room workouts are intense and athletes from all sports push each other to get better. There is nothing better than going on runs around the beach or volcanoes on excursion trips.