Modern Languages @ FLCC: Costa Rica, 2016

FLCC’s Costa Rica Study Abroad program offers students the opportunity to experience an international study abroad program without worrying about burdensome financial or time commitments. This SUNY-accredited travel course is great for students who have never ventured outside the country and want to have a safe experience while earning college credit!

Students study in Costa Rica for over two weeks, attend language classes, stay with host families, and embark on excursions to diverse beaches, natural reserves, and other ecological sites around the country.

Kelly Bailey

Kelly Bailey

Kelly Bailey
Secondary Education @ Keuka College
Modern Languages @ FLCC: Costa Rica, 2016

My name is Kelly Quinn Bailey and as you might guess from my name I am 75 percent Irish. I grew up in the small town of Avon, NY which is a half hour south of the City of Rochester. Currently, I am a Junior at Keuka College majoring in Secondary Education with a concentration in Mathematics. When in college the more connections you form with other people the better. It helps even more if you make those relationships with a diverse range of people. Through my exploration of study abroad programs I picked the trip to Costa Rica because I feel this trip will get me the closest to the daily lives of the local people. As a future teacher I value getting to know people and their backgrounds. I am excited to be immersed in a culture new to me. The thing I am looking forward to the most is the friendships and stories I will come away with. I expect to learn not just about the geography of Latin America, but meet the people of Latin America and hear their stories.
Tiffany Bane

Tiffany Bane

Tiffany Bane
Biochemistry @ Keuka College
Modern Languages @ FLCC: Costa Rica, 2016

I grew up in a small town, where I didn’t get the chance to travel. I have family members travel tell their stories, and I have always wanted to be able to tell me own. I choice the FLCC program because now I not only have the chance to travel to Costa Rica, but to also learn about the culture as well, and being able to learn about the culture is important for the all-around experience. Being a scientist, diversity is something that is essential; and being able to see the different diversity is an exciting experience.
Brianna Cardina

Brianna Cardina

Brianna Cardina
New Media @ Finger Lakes Community College
Modern Languages @ FLCC: Costa Rica, 2016

Hi, my name is Bri! I’m a 2nd year at FLCC as a New Media major, and I’m loving it. I grew up in Buffalo NY, then went to live in Japan for a year. After that, I knew I had to get back out into the world again! I want to experience as much of the world as I can. I love adventure. There’s so many new experiences, new people, and many other things waiting to happen! This is why I joined the Study Abroad program. Traveling is fun and a great learning experience. I hope to gain knowledge about the world around me, gain new relationships, and new experiences that I hope will last a lifetime. Trying new things is something that I love to do, and adventure is full of those! I hope to bring back many good stories and memories, and to share them with friends and family.
Alysa Halsey

Alysa Halsey

Alysa Halsey
Occupational Therapy @ Keuka College
Modern Languages @ FLCC: Costa Rica, 2016

As a future Occupational Therapist, I want to have the experience and abilities to recognize how environment plays a role on people’s daily occupations and functioning. Coming from the small town of Pulaski, NY I never really got the chance to explore the beauty of diversity, other cultures, and different lifestyles. I want to take ahold of every opportunity to better myself that I can.  When I saw the signs around campus about the opportunity to go to Costa Rica, my brain went into fast paced motion thinking about all the things I needed to do in order to get myself there. I feel like this trip, rather than others, will have the most effect on me because we are sleeping, eating, and breathing in the culture of beautiful Costa Rica. I can’t wait to explore and connect with new people that will provide memories to hold onto for a lifetime.
Brianna Jackson

Brianna Jackson

Brianna Jackson
English / Communications @ Keuka College
Modern Languages @ FLCC: Costa Rica, 2016

As cliché as it might sound, traveling to different countries has been something that I’ve been interested in for quite a while now. I love experiencing new things, and that’s why I choose FLCC’s Costa Rica Study Abroad Program. I look forward to learning a lot, and breaking out of my comfort zone. I’ve never been in a Spanish speaking country before, and I’ve only been exposed to the Spanish language in school, so I look forward to immersing myself in the Spanish culture of Costa Rica, and trying many new things. As an English major with a Communications minor, I find the English language, and the means of communication, fascinating. For a little background on myself, I’m studying to become a librarian, and after graduating from Keuka I’m heading off to graduate school to study Library Science (yes, it’s a real thing), and to fulfill my dream. My mom was a librarian as well, so I guess you could say it runs in the family. Though it’s my love of reading that really inspired me to pursue this path. I also enjoying hanging out with friends, anime, Korean dramas, and dream about going to Japan. And even though I may seem quiet at first, once you get to know me you’ll see I’m pretty outgoing. I am very grateful to be given this opportunity, and I look forward to making the most out of it.
Ana Northrop

Ana Northrop

Ana Northrop
Culinary Arts @ Finger Lakes Community College
Modern Languages @ FLCC: Costa Rica, 2016

This past summer after experiencing traveling out of state all on my own for the first time, it is safe to say I have caught the traveling bug. I grew up in the small town of Hemlock N.Y, with a passion for food, and the culinary arts (my current major at FLCC). I’m looking forward to seeing different ways of life, foods, customs, and people! Food is one of the best ways to understand and learn about a culture along with being submerged in and totally surrounded by it. To me the best part of traveling is the people you meet and what you learn from personal encounters, so the anticipation of this trip and learning experience are leaving me with excitement and a sense of not knowing what to expect in such a new or different place. I’m looking forward to the journey and hope to gain a new view on people and life with this wonderful opportunity I was given.
Sarah Warner

Sarah Warner

Sarah Warner
Occupational Therapy @ Keuka College
Modern Languages @ FLCC: Costa Rica, 2016

I come from a small town outside of Rochester where I grew up with my close-knit family.  I am an Occupational Therapy student at Keuka College, and I absolutely love to be surrounded by people.  This being said, I am incredibly interested in other cultures and seeing new placed around the world.  Costa Rica is a beautiful country, and I cannot wait to meet new people, see new things, and get outside my comfort zone.  I think other languages are just beautiful and I am eager to be able to hear Spanish speakers daily.  I am a huge advocate for traveling, getting new experiences, and making connections, and I hope to one day encourage others to do the same.  I truly believe that my travels to Costa Rica will help me to gain a new perspective and also help me with my future career as a clinician.  I am incredibly excited about this opportunity and cannot wait for my trip abroad.
David Whitt

David Whitt

David Whitt
Accounting @ Finger Lakes Community College
Modern Languages @ FLCC: Costa Rica, 2016

I am currently in my third semester at Finger Lakes Community College. I entered in the Fall of 2014 studying Accounting. During the 2015 Fall semester, I decided that Accounting wasn’t for me, and changed my major to Business Administration. The study abroad opportunity has nothing to do with my major, and would count as a general elective for me, but I am interested in taking this as an opportunity to explore and get outside my comfort zone. I am generally a very quiet person and I am very quiet when I meet new people, but this trip will give me the opportunity to bust out of that and become more open. Aside from that, I have been wanting to travel outside the country and see what it’s like to go into a territory that is so different from here, and I believe that this trip will give me that opportunity. Another thing that motivates me to get out and do this is that none of my immediate family has ever been out of the country, so I will be the first, and I will be breaking new ground for my family. I hope this will inspire them to get out and explore and believe that there is reason to leave the country and go somewhere that you’ve never been.