Central America Semester | Carpe Diem Education Gap Year

Carpe Diem was incredible!! It was exactly what I needed after graduating high school and being tired of the traditional educational model. I went on the Central America program and I learned so much and had a fantastic time. I loved the home stays, the Spanish lessons, the trek, my instructors and my group. Each came with a few challenges but only the healthy kind and by the end of the trip I wasn’t ready to go home. Being home afterwards I am filled with a sense of gratitude that I got to go and of wonder because I really feel that I became a different, better, braver version of myself during the program. I bonded well with my group and connected to the curriculum and to the places we stayed. I am a little surprised to say that I am a big fan of the no cell phones policy because I felt that it gave me fewer opportunities to be homesick and more opportunities to connect with my group mates. Before the trip I considered myself an introvert and I was worried that I might not get enough time to myself. By the end I didn’t want to be alone because I loved my group so much: best possible outcome. I would highly recommend Carpe Diem to students who are interested in alternative education and in learning about other cultures. I would definitely recommend the Central America program to anyone who is interested in polishing their Spanish if you feel that your high school Spanish classes aren’t doing you justice. Choosing Carpe Diem is one of the best decisions I have ever made and I hope that if you choose Carpe that you’ll feel the same.

If I could give this program an 11/10 I would. I've grown as a student, an independent traveler, and a person because of this experience. It's amazing how fast you can pick up a language when you're surrounded by it 24/7, and how fast you become friends with people you've never met when your traveling and living together. I learned so much Spanish and so much about sustainability, but also about the food, culture and history of Guatemala and my own privilege as someone with an American passport. I only got to experience 5 weeks of my spring CA trip because of the Covid19 pandemic, but I still made friends (Carpe students, my OEs, and locals) and had experiences that I will treasure for the rest of my life. If anything my trip getting cut short made me value my time in Guatemala even more. The team at headquarters and my wonderful OEs handled the stressful and heartbreaking task of getting us on a flight out the country before the borders closed with grace and professionalism. I never felt unsafe and I'm so grateful for them.

This experience was amazing because of the mentors that took me to these countries. Carpe Diem Education makes sure the absolute best people are the ones leading the trip. Ben and Jess are my biggest role models and inspired me throughout the entire trip. Jess continues to brighten my life and email me monthly to let me know that I am cared about. Ben was my main friend on this trip that I could just hang out with and slackline between two trees when travel was making me anxious. The mentors on my trip are two people that are really confident in who they are as people and truly believe that travel will change you. Jess and Ben made me think, act and be a different person without even trying. Without Carpe Diem, and the amazing people they have lead these trips, I would not be continuing to travel. Jess inspired me to travel as much as I can, and now I can confidently say I am going to Thailand and Spain in 2016-2017 knowing that my mentors helped me get there.