TROY—A group of Troy University students will study Spanish culture and hone their communication skills this summer during a study-abroad expedition to Costa Rica.

Headed by Dr. Johanna Alberich, assistant professor of Spanish in TROY’s Department of Modern Languages and Classics, the student left Friday for 10 days in the Central American country, under the auspices of the Instituto de Espanol Costa Rica in San Jose.

During the trip, the students will learn and experience a great deal about the Spanish culture, including being placed with host families.

“The host families will give a great welcome to each student,” Dr. Alberich said. “This will be the beginning of the cultural exchange.”

Much of the students’ time, however, will be spent in two national parks – the Tropical Forest of Tortuguero and, on the Caribbean coast, Manuel Antonio.
Charted in 1519 by Ponce de Leon during his epic quest for the Fountain of Youth, Manuel Antonio contains a combination of rain forest, beaches and coral reefs.

“These are some of the most beautiful beaches in the country, lined with lush forest. The forest is home for sloths, iguanas, the rare squirrel monkeys and millions of small crabs,” she said.

In addition to the excursions into the Costa Rican wilderness, the students will attend Spanish grammar and culture classes, visit the Costa Rican Parliament and will take a Latin American dancing lesson.

• Mercedes Pullum, a senior criminal justice major from Montgomery
• Mercedes Combs, a sophomore biology major from Abbeville
• Jamie Torres, a senior Spanish major from Troy
• Kendra Lewis, a senior criminal justice major from Dothan
• Desirae Zine, a senior criminal justice major from Vacaville, Calif.
• Callie Addison, a junior math major from Dothan
• Jerrid Olmstead, a senior speech major from Enterprise
• Alicia McClung, a senior social sciences major from Opelika
• Carla Norman, a sophomore nursing major from Goshen
• James Griffith, a junior music major from Freeport, N.C.
• Ashton King, a senior print journalism major from Blakely, Ga.
• Danielle Adams, a senior print journalism major from Montgomery
• Dr. Michael Stewart, eminent scholar in agriculture and management in TROY’s Department of Biological Sciences
• Margaret Lee Casey, a senior broadcast journalism major from Minter
• Kevin Williford, a senior foreign language major from Spanish Fort
• Stephanie Hart, a junior finance major from Leeds
• William Goggans, a junior history major from Douglas, Ga.
• Rebecca Hood, a junior biology major from Opelika
• Michael Wilman, a junior political science major from Jacksonville, N.C.
• Lynn Defleron, a senior general business major from Slocomb.