Not All Classrooms Have Walls

Jennifer Olson

This amazing group of students brought their absolute best to Costa Rica! This year’s cohort included 16 first year UIC students—our largest cohort yet! Whether we faced early mornings, long bus rides, difficult hikes, or courageous conversations, the group was engaged, open to new experiences, and pushed themselves to explore and learn.

As our First Year Flames Abroad t-shirts say, “Not all classrooms have walls”. This couldn’t be more true. We hiked up active volcanos and swam in waterfalls. We learned about sustainabilty initiatves in Costa Rica and engaged with community organizations. We hiked through national parks and swam in the ocean (first time for some students!). We learned about Costa Rican cooking and danced to salsa and merengue. We visited coffee farms and made our own chocolate bars from scratch.

In all of these experiences, we aimed to understand and respect different cultural contexts and viewpoints, be open to new ideas and ways of thinking, and created meaningful connections with the group.

I’m so grateful to have part of this journey with these amazing students!