Students prepare for next year’s Costa Rica trip
By: BILLY GARDNER
Staff Writer
Three weeks of beautiful weather and scenery, seven college credits and one lifelong memory. Every year at STLCC- Meramec, Professor Marco Romero takes a group of students to San Jose, Costa Rica for a Spanish-language immersion program.
While in San Jose, students stay with a host family and have the opportunity to experience the culture, customs and food of Costa Rica. The group takes a two-day trip to Manuel Antonio National Park, known for its beautiful white sand beaches, coral reefs and diverse plant and wildlife population. While in Costa Rica, the group takes a boat to Isla Tortuga, an island in the Gulf of Nicoya. The students also spend two nights at Arenal Volcano National Park, home of multiple volcanoes, hot springs and a lagoon formed from the crater of an inactive volcano.
Professor Romero said on Arenal Volcano, stating “It erupts two, three, four times a day. Night time is the best. It sounds like it’s thundering and you see the sparks in the sky.”
In addition to experiencing the sights, sounds, tastes and smells of Costa Rica, students earn seven college credits in courses taught by Costa Rican professors. Class sizes are limited to a maximum of six students to ensure a very intimate, personal learning experience.
“Classes are guided toward conversation. They encourage you to listen and speak. They focus on oral communication,” said Romero.
Each student receives three credits in a course entitled Costa Rica: The Land and Its People. Students receive an additional four credits in a Spanish language course that is dependent on the individual’s level of understanding. Besides earning credits, there may be not be a more efficient way of learning a foreign language than spending time among native speakers.
For students interested in taking the trip to Costa Rica, there are some eligibility requirements. First, students need their high school diploma or GED. Second, they must be enrolled at STLCC. Third, a 2.0 GPA is required. Fourth, students must have completed Spanish 101 with a C grade or better.
The trip is not cheap, running about $3200. However, there are payment plans that can be followed, with the first payment due Dec. 1, 2013. Multiple $500 scholarships are available specifically for this trip. To obtain more information on these scholarships, or the trip general, students can contact Romero at 314-984-7839.
Studying abroad is a great opportunity for college students to see other parts of the world while enriching their learning experience. For the student studying Spanish, this trip to San Jose may be the perfect occasion to do so.
Romero spoke about the benefits of taking the trip, saying, “What we do in the classroom. It’s not the same as if we go and experience it. If students today at colleges and universities have the opportunity to go somewhere as a group, it can be one of the most rewarding experiences they can have.”
