Mi trabajo

If you've not been a long-time follower of my blog you may wonder what I actually do down here besides eat ice cream and speak Spanish.

The following was copied from one of my blog posts a couple of years ago. As any good teacher would do, why reinvent the wheel?

Official CPI Grupos polo. I apologize for the "Costa Rica" hair.

Here is the long and short of it all:
Centro Panamericano de Idiomas (or CPI for short) is a language immersion school that teaches Spanish to students of any age and ability who want to come to Costa Rica and learn. The school is based on full language and cultural immersion so we have small class sizes (max. 4 to a class) and homestays with Tico families. We have three campuses throughout the country--Heredia in the Central Valley near the capital of San Jose, Monteverde in the mountains (my favorite!) and Flamingo on the beach. We have individual students, families, high schools, universities, grandparents, priests, nuns, children, international and local students all attending our school. I first came here with the University of Dayton in 2008 to earn Spanish study abroad credit after being in Spain the summer before.

At CPI, I work in the Groups Office. Any high school, university, community college or other group that comes to CPI goes through the Groups division. Each summer I am assigned numerous groups to 'chaperone.' Essentially, while the group is here, I am in charge of their itinerary and making sure that things go smoothly--checking on homestays, classes, meals, lodging, activities, transportation, volunteerships, etc. I am like a 'fill-in-the-blanks' person for the group. If they want to know what to bring for the day, where we are eating, what to wear, where class is, how long the drive is, and so on, I'm the person they come to. In the last couple of seasons I've also helped train the new chaperones and give guidance throughout the summer. I've been doing this for a while. : )

On the contrary to what most think when I say that I work for a language immersion school, I do not teach in the summer. In a way, it's wonderful. I enjoy teaching Spanish in the States, but this is a completely different venue for me. It's all business and customer service and seeing that the customer (the students) have the best possible experience while they are here. It's also immensely rewarding knowing that I am helping to plant the seed to becoming a global and worldly individual. What they do with it when they leave is up to them, but I've helped to plant it!

Another aspect of my journey down here every year is getting to see the friends I have come to know and adore. I love returning each year and getting to spend with them no matter how chaotic la temporada alta (high season) is. Outside of seeing familiar faces, I get to encounter so many new ones as well! One of the greatest benefits to this job is all of the people you meet! You make connections, build relationships, network, and make friends with people from all over the world. It's amazing the kind of unique individuals I have met and continue to meet while I am here.

Pura vida,

Jessica Lynn