This March, 21 students and four teachers flew to Costa Rica to learn about the culture and spend time at a sea turtle conservation center. There has been talk all over campus about how successful this trip was and what a great opportunity it was for the students that went. Not only were they able to learn about the culture and wildlife in Costa Rica, they were also able to make new connections with their peers and have an exciting time with their friends.
On the trip, students had a great time and got to experience things that they may not have ever had the chance to do again. According to Claire Fisher ’25, “When we saw the sea turtle, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and when we went ziplining, it was really fun and also just hanging out with all my friends and getting to know new people was great.” Throughout the trip, students were able to gain meaningful experiences and try a variety of different activities that they may not have had much interest in previously. The trip broadened the horizons of many people as they tried new things and learned about different cultures.
Some of the activities that they did on the trip include swimming in a waterfall, ziplining, and seeing the conservation methods used for the sea turtles. Sarah Naddleman ’25 explained, “It was a really great experience and I got to see things that I will probably never see again in my life and I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to go.” Going on an international trip with a large group of your classmates and teachers is something that very few people get to experience and we are very fortunate to have these opportunities provided through Peddie.
As a community, these students were able to form connections with the others on the trip. The memories and bonds created on the Costa Rica trip will stay with these students forever and they will always have these shared experiences. The things they did and learned on the trip were very unique and meant a lot to the people on the trip.
When they presented their experiences in a chapel speech, they explained the ways in which they went out of their comfort zone and learned new things about the world. In this speech, they mentioned how at one point they had to walk through the forest and beach at night, which was frightening for some people on the trip. If they had gone on the trip alone, they may not have done this and may not have gained the experience of going out of their comfort zone.
Overall, we are very lucky to have these opportunities available to us as a community and we must consider the ways in which they can benefit us. Taking advantage of these opportunities is important because it can give us more life experiences and teach us new things that are helpful in the future. Finally, this trip was just a good time for those that went as they got to spend time with their friends in these interesting places.