A Week of Exploring

By:

Zachary Tanner

Published:

Countries

Demographics

Majors

Regions

This week has been a breathe of fresh air. I didn’t know how much time I had on my hands until Monday came around and I didn’t have four hours of spanish class. Even though I do wish I could be in a spanish class I do not miss the four hours. I have been using my mornings to good use now and even started on a couple of new journeys this week. This week I started volunteering at a senior citizen’s home and started teaching costa rican students english. My experience at the senior citizens home was a very humbling experience, I started feeding an older gentlemen his breakfast of yogurt. I felt so privileged to feed this man who I had never met in my life his breakfast. I don’t know how I can explain it, but spoon after spoon and wiping his mouth when some yogurt spilled on his cheek just gave me this sense of service that made me fell proud about giving back. Now being in a senior citizen home can be difficult because you see how people can just be discarded because of old age, and after talking to some of the residents that was the case. The one thing I learned is that senior citizens are just waiting for an ear that is intoned to hear what they have to say. I spoke too two women as I was at the senior citizens facility and just to see their smiles and their excitement that they had someone to speak too was great. My experience teaching is truly different and I am really looking forward too next week when I’ll get two students who I personally tutor. To see the excitement and the drive too learn another language that they have is amazing.  The class is filled with games and fun and makes english very interactive which the students love. I’ve only helped with the class twice this week, so I look forward to speaking more about this subject more. Monday I went to the gold museum in San Jose and I learned so much about pre-colonial Costa Rica and how gold was such a prominent element in their societies. I was truly blown away about their artwork and skill. It was just good to have a week of service and exploring and I pray that I take this attitude everywhere I go not just in Costa Rica. I wasn’t just blessed to be blessed but to be a blessing to others.

Zachary Tanner

Hello, my name is Zachary Phillip Tanner. I am a junior Political Science student at North Carolina A&T State University. I never thought I would study abroad; I was under the impression that anywhere other than America had nothing to offer me. I grew up in Washington D.C and the rising Hispanic population always caught my attention. Realizing that this isn’t a black and white world but a world filled with different kinds of people and culture, I came to the realization that the world outside of America did have something to offer something America couldn’t. I choose to study abroad in Costa Rica because I wanted to go to Latin America and experience the “Pura Vida” life style. I also want to graduate from College fluent in Spanish; being immersed in the Costa Rican environment and culture will surely help my development. After I graduate from college I plan to give back by applying for a teaching position with Teach for America. I want to be an example to my peers and other young adults; showing them that stepping outside the box is extremely cool and being linguistically diverse is possible and rewarding. Studying abroad will give me the opportunity to have that connection with Hispanic students because I will know their native language and I will have experienced a part of their culture. I will be a role model to kids because they will see through me anything is possible. I’m just achieving my goals as they come.