Six St. Joe Students Spend Two Weeks Studying Spanish in Costa Rica

Six young ladies from St. Joseph’s Academy in Frontenac felt they could use more intense training with their Spanish education. So, along with two chaperones, they spent two weeks in Costa Rica with host family learning more how to use the language and about the culture and history of the Central American country. 

Four hours a day, they were in immersion training at an international language school, right on the beach.

The adventure began on June 10 and the traveling group returned to the USA on June 24th.

Students included incoming juniors Monica Williams, Maddie Meier, Gabrielle Bucchino and Mikaela Schutte and seniors to be Mary Brightfield and Megan Won.

The group enjoyed their experiences immensely. Their escorts were Spanish teacher Megan Wallace and Emily Mahon, St. Joe director of community relations. Mahon, who studied French didn’t speak a word of Spanish.

The group left Miami and landed in Liberia, Costa Rica. They traveled by van 2 1/2 hours overland to the costal village of Samara where they stayed with their host families.

The nearest town is Nicoya, some 45 minutes away.

The girls got to do all kinds of fun things. They went Salsa dancing; took cooking lessons; did body surfing, kayaking, zip lining and soaked beneath a ice cold cascading river forest water fall.

After school each day, the visitors were able to work with local school children. They helped them to make bracelets and play games with them.

Midway through their stay, they spent a weekend in the city of La Fortuna, a five hour drive over the mountains and on the west coast of Costa Rica. From there, they could see the mountains of Nicaragua in the distance.

One of the interesting side trips was a hike to Mount Arenal, an active volcano which last erupted just two years ago.

Meier, in particular enjoyed her experiences. “I really liked the trip. We ate lots of natural foods and local products. They have so much fruit to eat,” said Meier.

Of course, the girls remembered eating a lot of the staple diet of beans and rice.

Mahon pointed out “this was a very active trip and we had plenty of hot weather. We biked everywhere we went,” she said.

Costa Rica, this time of the year is supposed to be in the rainy season but “everyone went home with a tan,” reported Mahon.

Williams was a little more cautious about the trip. “At first it seemed a little nerve-wracking, but as the first week went on, everyone got more comfortable, especially with their host families,” she said.

Several of the girls are ready to sign up and go back to Costa Rica again next summer.