I was able to learn a lot about myself in Costa Rica during the summer of 2025. We spent our first days building and developing our own community by making and enforcing our own policies. One community-building activity was when we made our own chocolate and learned about the important history of chocolate production in Costa Rica. We then ziplined through the forest and discussed the importance of growth in BIPOC communities. After this, we spent an afternoon in San Jose, where we were immersed in social customs and the importance of “Pura Vida,” a Costa Rican motto embodying a laid-back, optimistic way of living. This was followed by our stay at Crisleys’ Farm, where we learned about the importance of combating challenges and perseverance. We then completed community service at the Children's Eternal Rain Forest, where we created a path for visitors to appreciate the forest's beauty. We ended our trip with homestays, immersing ourselves in cultural practices, completing a garden, and helping clean up their community event center and church to drive community participation. During the homestay portion, I was in a new place, surrounded by new people. My time there showed me the importance of developing resilience and a growth mindset.
Wonderfolk resonates with our school's motto, “Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve,” making it a great program for any DLSNC student. (Just recently, Alexander Calel Mendoza ‘27 and Anahi Huertas ‘27 got accepted into the 2026 cohort.) Wonderfolk embodies “Enter to Learn” as it values the importance of education before service work so as to gain context and empathy, and build confidence in work. Before doing service work in either Portland or Costa Rica, we learned about each place's history, mission, vision, and values. Wonderfolk carries out “Leave to Serve” by not only focusing on community service during the two years of the program but also providing opportunities to continue community impact through workforce development after program completion.
