A Life Changing Experience

OROSI, COSTA RICA – "It wasn't just a vacation," said Seeley-Swan High School Science Teacher Tonya Smith. "These guys worked [really hard] while they were there and were in really uncomfortable and growth mindset situations."

Thirteen students along with chaperones Smith and Bridget Laird participated in the Destinations for Education trip to Costa Rica April 4-14. From having to speak Spanish with their homestay families, to learning how to live in a different culture, students and adults were challenged to see life through a different lens and were humbled by the friendliness, kindness and generosity they were shown by the Costa Rican people.

After arriving in Costa Rica, the students had a couple days at the beach to get accustomed to the culture. Then they traveled to Orosi where they worked with Montaña Linda, a family-owned business that offers Spanish instruction and a service project for students.

The students worked on the service project each morning at a school that has 18 students above Orosi.

The students painted the see-saw on the playground, dug up the garden and planted lettuce and cabbage. They also painted the building, made and painted the doors, installed electricity, fixed the plumbing and put a toilet seat on the girls' toilet.

"Think about girls from eight to 13-years-old that had to sit on a toilet without a toilet seat. They were really excited when we came in and did all new plumbing and put on a new door that actually locked," said SSHS junior Chance Johnson.

"They didn't really treat us like kids. They said here are your utensils and your job and this is what you have to do and how you do it," said junior Ashley Miller. "That was really cool just to have them trust us to get everything done right."

In the afternoons, the students received three hours of Spanish instruction before heading back to their host families, where the students again had a chance to practice their Spanish in a real life situation. A few of the evenings there were group activities including cooking and dance lessons.

Many of the students really enjoyed their homestay and their adopted family.

"It was a really different experience talking 24/7 Spanish and really not knowing what you are saying half the time but trying to make a conversation," said Chance.

Miller said her host mother was an amazing cook. While she wished she could have talked more Spanish, what little they could communicate she was really nice, very welcoming and the food was amazing.

One day was a holiday, so they went on a hike into the rain forest to visit a coffee farmer. He shared his goats, dogs, kittens and coffee with the students. He told them about all the different coffee brands and showed them his farm above Orosi.

The students took turns leading throughout the trip. Smith said the students realized that the people of Orosi do not have a lot, yet they were very friendly, a really nice culture, very kind and generous.

"We are kind of in a bubble here in Seeley. It is interesting to see what life is like in a different country," said Miller. "You can live a simple life and not be on your phone all the time and not have to check Facebook."

Junior Nicole Williams said Destinations for Education is important because it helps students, who many not otherwise have the opportunity, experience a different culture and to open their mind.

Senior Keaton Johnson agreed that the experience opened his eyes to what life is like for people outside of the United States and Seeley Lake.

Smith said she was really impressed with how well the students did on the trip.

"They took it as an opportunity to learn and grow," said Smith who added their main contact at Montaña Linda said she has never had this special of a group. "Everyone was really mature, respectful and invested. I'm proud of them. They all walked away learning something about themselves or the world and how they fit into it."

Smith said the trip cost the group more than $20,000. She is grateful for the support from the community since the students were able to fundraise nearly all of the money to go.

"This group of travelers made Seeley Lake and SSHS very proud," said Laird. "They engaged fully in the experience, even in challenging situations like communicating with their host families and figuring out the cultural differences."