My experience with Global Summers Academy played a defining role in helping me decide what I want to study in post-secondary education. Global Summers Academy is an educational program that allows students to earn high school credits while travelling abroad. Through this opportunity, I earned my Grade 12 English credit with the Costa Rica July Program. While I initially joined the program for the chance to travel, meet new people, and earn a credit in a unique way, the experience became much more than that. Ultimately, my experience with the program did not only help me discover a passion for travel but also guided me in choosing to pursue a career in education in post-secondary school.
One of the most influential aspects of choosing to pursue education is owed to the teachers and coordinators who brought positivity and support throughout the program. Specifically, each staff member went above and beyond simply teaching course content and took a genuine interest in each student’s growth, both academically and personally. For instance, teachers who were not my own offered help wherever they could and encouraged me to not only come to them with issues but also updates on how they could make the program more enjoyable for me. Throughout the summer, their encouragement and guidance created a positive learning environment where I felt supported and motivated. I took advantage of the opportunity to speak with many of the teachers and coordinators about the educational paths they took to become educators, and their openness and willingness to share advice made a lasting impression on me. These conversations were extremely impactful in influencing not only what I want to study but also where I want to study. Hearing about their journeys reinforced my interest in pursuing a career in education, and I am now confident that this is the career for me. Overall, the support I received during my time in Costa Rica with GSA inspired me to pursue a future in education, as I hope to make as much of an impact on future students as the GSA staff has for me.
During my time with Global Summers, the program showed me a unique side to education that changed my perspective of what a classroom should look like. A unique but super beneficial advantage of studying with GSA is the flexibility of the classroom. As a result of factors such as small class sizes and the well-organized scheduling of the curriculum, I was exposed to a way of teaching that I would not have received in a regular high school setting. This exposure enlightened my perspective and inspired me; learning does not have to be limited to desks in a classroom. Instead, education should be about meaningful experiences that connect students to the world around them. Learning alongside peers in a collaborative setting, engaging with new cultures, and being guided by educators who encourage a positive environment demonstrate how different learning can look based on the environment students surround themselves in. This realization inspires me to be a part of a system that can have a beneficial influence on students. All in all, my exposure to a new way of learning broadened my perspective on a deeper meaning of education, encouraging me to pursue a career that can help students excel beyond typical school norms.
In conclusion, after learning and travelling with Global Summers Academy, I am confident about my choice to pursue a career in education. Through this program, I received guidance from dedicated educators and was exposed to an engaging and beneficial learning environment. Consequently, I gained a deeper understanding of the impact education can have beyond traditional classroom settings. GSA allowed me to reflect on the kind of educator I hope to become; a teacher who supports students individually, encourages growth, and creates meaningful learning experiences. As I move forward into post-secondary education, I am confident in my decision to pursue a career in education and motivated to create the same sense of support, inspiration, and possibility that defined my experience with Global Summers Academy.
Thank you to Student Ambassador Trystan R. for writing this blog!
