Konop completes six-credit course in Costa Rica
WLC junior experiences lifestyle while earning credits toward major
June 26, 2009
Laura Konop in Costa RicaGERMANTOWN, Wis. - Wisconsin Lutheran College junior student-athlete Laura Konop (Germantown, Wis./Germantown) returned home to Wisconsin on June 25 after completing a six-credit Spanish grammar course studying abroad in Costa Rica.
Konop, a two-sport athlete in cross country and softball at WLC, departed for Costa Rica on May 24 to complete Espanol Intermedio II through Modern Language Studies Abroad (MLSA). The class, which met for five hours each weekday at the University of Costa Rica in San Jose, consisted of weekly written and oral tests as well as a final exam.
One of only a few independent students in the program, Konop stayed with a Costa Rican family. Costa Ricans, or "Ticos" as they are referred to, are among the friendliest people in the world, very polite and social.
"Living with a family forces you to use Spanish all day so that when you go to bed your brain is just throbbing from working so hard," Konop says. "Everyday led to a new, unique experience. From eating gallo pinto, the traditional Costa Rica cuisine, at every meal, to not having a hot shower, and to the pouring rain almost every afternoon are just some of the unique things I have experienced."
Konop made use of her weekends by visiting many attractions throughout Costa Rica which included the Irazú Volcano, Tortuga Island, Hermosa Beach and Manuel Antonio National Park.
"While I have enjoyed experiencing this different, more laid-back, simple lifestyle, I am anxious to return to the comforts of the American lifestyle that I grew up in."
