“Travel abroad can change lives and if not change lives it can change perspective,” said Spanish teacher and 2026 Spanish trip leader Mr. Alex Mazzante.
The current planned dates for a trip to Costa Rica are June 23 to June 29 of 2026. Mazzante said that students interested can email him or talk to him to receive the sign up code or link via email.
Mazzante said if students signed up by Feb 28 of 2025 the cost of the trip will be around $3,100. The school had a meeting held on Feb 19 to discuss all the details and what prices will look like for each family and what to expect for the trip.
“I specifically chose Costa Rica for the first trip that I’m leading because the 2020 Costa Rica trip wasn’t able to go through due to COVID,” said Mazzante.
It is a long process to make a trip like this come true but Mazzante was determined to make it happen and to give students the opportunity to go to Costa Rica.
“This will be the first time that I’m a group leader leading the trip,” said Mazzante. “I’m excited to see students get excited when we go to the different destinations, and also see how they let loose and adapt to Costa Rican culture.”
Mazzante said that there is a lot he has to do to prepare for the trip such as frequently meeting with a consultant who guides him through all the steps including advertising for the trip, meeting with parents, informing parents and students about details, itinerary trip costs, and much more. This process is what makes students have the ability to attend a trip and is vital to make it happen.
“I’ve also noticed on these trips, parents seem to have just as much fun as students,” said Mazzante. Trips like these can change families’ lives and open them to new experiences, “There was a mother that attended our Dominican Republic trip last year and she said that she got a second job to help pay for the trip, and she thinks she will keep that second job because that trip gave her an appetite for more international travel,” said Mazzante.
Costa Rica offers a lot of ecotourism for all the students and family to experience.
“Some of our outdoor destinations on this trip involved a visit to a waterfall, a visit to warm springs, and ziplining,” said Mazzante.
“I want to say the school has been doing trips since 2008 when Mrs. Morgan [retired Spanish teacher] took her first trip and it was to Mexico,” said Mazzante.
If students are interested in an opportunity like this they can speak to Mazzante to get more details on what it would look like for them.
Mazzante also said his only other experience for Spanish school trips were chaperoning the Spain trip with MAHS in 2010 and also chaperoning a trip with his previous school, Hershey High School, in 2007. Mazzante is looking forward to being the leader of something so special.
(Featured Image): Dominican trip students white water rafting at Jarabacoa. The Dominican Republic trip took place last year. Photo provided by Mazzante.
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