What inspired you to work for your organization?
After completing my MA in Applied Linguistics at San Diego State University, I was looking for a safe, family-oriented place to raise my son while continuing my remote work in the TEFL/TESOL industry. Nosara welcomed my family and me with open arms, and we found a community where we could imagine building a life. When I was later laid off from my remote position, it became the catalyst to pursue a longtime dream: running my own language school. It wasn’t quite the route I had planned, but my professional background, the community we had found, and the opportunity came together. NSI gave me a way to put my education and experience into practice while helping others connect through language. It all felt very serendipitous, and I’ve never looked back. The connections students build with local people and one another continue to make the work rewarding.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
I would remind myself that living abroad has its ups and downs, too. Finding somewhere you love doesn’t remove the ordinary challenges of life, and being far from home involves sacrifices worth thinking about honestly. You miss people, familiar routines, and moments you wish you could be there for. Building a life in another country takes patience, and it’s okay to appreciate the experience while also finding parts of it difficult. At the same time, I would tell myself to stay open to opportunities that don’t follow the original plan. Losing my remote job was not something I had hoped for, but it helped push me toward a dream I had carried for years. You don’t need to have everything figured out before taking a first step. Prepare thoughtfully, be realistic about the trade-offs, and if there’s a dream you keep coming back to, give yourself a chance to follow it.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Seeing students become more proficient in Spanish is rewarding, especially when they start using it with more confidence outside class. But what I enjoy just as much is seeing the connections they make—with local people, the wider community, and fellow students. The language becomes a way to build relationships. Watching someone move from being hesitant to speak to sharing a conversation and making a connection is a reminder of why I wanted to run a school.
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
My MA in Applied Linguistics and my experience in the TEFL/TESOL industry help me connect language-learning theory with what students need in practice. That background informs how we approach placement, structure our curriculum, and balance grammar with meaningful communication. Living abroad has also given me a personal understanding of the uncertainty, mistakes, and small breakthroughs that come with using another language in everyday life.
What are some current projects you are working on?
We’re developing and refining our Spanish curriculum and learning materials, with clear progression between levels and practical examples connected to life in Nosara. Feedback from our instructors helps us make the materials clearer and more useful for students. We’re also developing our Family Spanish Program, which allows parents and children to learn at the same campus during a coordinated morning, with instruction suited to their ages and levels.
Why should someone choose your organization over competitors?
NSI is a small school, so personal attention is part of the everyday experience. Our groups average two to four students, with a maximum of six. That gives students room to participate and instructors room to understand where someone needs more practice or a different explanation. We take placement seriously and combine conversation with the grammar students need to understand what they’re saying. People arrive with different goals, confidence levels, and schedules. Some want a focused immersion experience; others need a lighter schedule or private instruction. We help them find a clear plan rather than assume one format suits everyone. Studying in Nosara also creates opportunities to use Spanish beyond class. What matters to us is that students make progress they can recognize and feel more comfortable connecting with other people through the language.
What is your organization's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
Our mission is to help people feel more capable and comfortable using Spanish, and to make that learning a path toward connection. We want students to understand how the language works and feel ready to use it in everyday situations. Progress includes knowing more grammar and vocabulary, but it also includes being willing to start a conversation, ask a question, or keep going when the words don’t come easily. We work toward that through structured lessons, small classes, and attention to each student’s starting point. Written placement and an oral assessment help us make appropriate learning arrangements. We’re also continuing to develop our curriculum and materials, using instructor feedback to make explanations and exercises clearer. Practical communication remains central throughout. The goal is for what students learn in class to become something they can use in their lives.
What makes your organization easy to market to potential participants?
Our instructors, materials, location and personal attention.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
I hope students leave with stronger Spanish skills and the confidence to keep using them. They don’t need perfect Spanish to have a meaningful conversation, ask for help, or get to know someone. Making mistakes is part of learning, and I want them to feel less afraid of that process. A useful outcome is leaving with a clearer understanding of what they can do now and what they can continue working on. Just as importantly, I hope they take away connections—with local people, the wider community, and fellow students. Seeing students become more proficient is rewarding, but watching them use Spanish to build relationships is my favorite part of the work. Those experiences give the language a personal meaning that goes beyond an exercise or a classroom. Ideally, students leave wanting to continue learning because they have experienced what speaking Spanish can open up for them.
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
Travel gives us opportunities to question our assumptions and understand how other people live. Everyday experiences can become chances to learn when we are willing to pay attention, ask questions, and accept that our familiar way of doing things is only one possibility. That can be rewarding, but it can also be uncomfortable. I think both are part of the value of spending time in another country. Learning the language adds another dimension. It gives you more ways to participate, hear different perspectives, and get to know people beyond the conversations that are easiest for a visitor to have. It doesn’t make cultural understanding automatic; that still takes curiosity, patience, and listening. But it helps create opportunities for connection. For me, those relationships are one of the strongest reasons to travel and make an effort to learn about the place you are visiting.
How do you help support participants?
Support begins before students arrive. We help them choose a course that fits their goals, explain accommodation options, and prepare for their first day. Written placement and an oral assessment help us find an appropriate starting point. Once they’re here, our small classes give instructors room to notice where students need help. We want people to feel comfortable asking questions, whether they’re about Spanish, their program, or getting settled in Nosara.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel means being curious about the place you’re visiting and the people who call it home. It means making an effort to participate, listen, and learn, while recognizing that a destination is also someone else’s everyday community. The experience becomes more personal when you move beyond simply being in a place and start building connections there. That might happen through a conversation with a host family, getting to know a fellow student, or having the confidence to speak Spanish even when it comes out imperfectly. The moments don’t have to be dramatic to matter. At NSI, my favorite part is seeing students use their growing language skills to connect with local people and one another. To me, meaningful travel includes those relationships and the willingness to let an experience broaden your perspective. It’s something you carry home and continue thinking about after the trip ends.
