FOUNDERS

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“There is nothing noble in being better than someone else; nobility comes in being better than your former self.”   –Whitney Young
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“What we learn with pleasure we never forget.”   –Louis Mercier

Dr. Heather Tracy, Ed.M., Ed.D. 
Executive Director & Co-Founder

Dr. Heather Tracy is the co-founder and Executive Director of both New Summit Academy and The Bridge - Costa Rica young adult gap program. Heather earned an Honors Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in psychology and French at Saint Louis University where she was 1 of 10 Freshmen to earn the highest honor of a full-ride, four-year scholarship as a Presidential Scholar. She then continued her studies at Harvard Graduate School of Education, earning a Master of Education in Human Development & Psychology with coursework and research focusing on adolescents at-risk and school reform. In 2014, Heather completed her Doctorate of Education in K-12 Leadership with a dissertation about the importance of academic enablers (specifically, the social, psychological, physical, and emotional foundations of cognition, learning and growth) for at-risk adolescents to build resilience and learn and live more effectively and efficiently.
Being co-founder and Executive Director of New Summit Academy (since 2004) and The Bridge young adult gap community (since 2012) has been the highlight of her career. Leading learning environments that support young people to find their purpose, build skills to achieve goals, and contribute to their community is a gift. Motivated to articulate the successful approaches at NSA and The Bridge as well as assess student growth in a strengths-based way,  Dr. Tracy and Dr. Danny Recio co-authored Supportive Immersion theory (2016) and articulated PROPS skills as the 21st Century skill set needed to thrive in today's world. 
She is tri-lingual (English, Spanish, and French), studied abroad in France for one year, backpacked all over Europe, and has lived in Costa Rica since January 2002. Heather is also a certified yoga teacher, and in her free time, she loves to travel, dance, read nerdy books, eat good food, and spend time with her family. See Heather's resume here.
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Dr. ​Mario Duran, PhD, LCP 1499 / Lic. Psych

​MS in Substance Abuse Treatment 

Senior Director of Family and Faculty Development &

Co-Founder 

Mario Duran is a clinical psychologist with postgraduate studies in group psychology and substance abuse treatment. He completed his doctoral dissertation in educational research. Mario is the director of a postgraduate program in Addiction studies at UNED Costa Rica and serves as the liaison for The International Consortium of Universities for Drug Demand Reduction (ICUDDR). He is a professional member of the International Society of Substance Abuse Professionals (ISSUP) and has been teaching at undergraduate and graduate levels for over 20 years. He has been a clinical supervisor in the US and Costa Rica and has trained as a neurofeedback practitioner. Mario has been an active member of the Costa Rican Professional Board of Psychologists since 1998 (license # 1499) and has served in the Ethics Committee.
Mario has been working in residential settings in various capacities over the past two and a half decades, ranging from lead therapist to Clinical Director in both non-profit and private facilities, serving a variety of clients and families in multicultural settings. He has consulted for mental health and educational institutions, NGO’s and international organization and has published several articles and research reports on behavioral health, best practices and addiction.

Mario invests himself in mentoring our clinical team, building healthy relationships with students in the milieu, and supporting parents in their journey through parenting planning groups and workshops. He implements a relationship and solution-based approach in his clinical practice to guide people in matching their intentions with actions in meaningful and practical ways. He has lived in Costa Rica most of his life and has had the opportunity to also live in the United States and France. He is a proud husband and father and an enthusiast of spiritual teachings.
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​Andy Myers, BS
Experiential Education Director & Co-Founder

Andy received his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Environmental Policy and Behavior from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment. As well, Andy was the Trip Coordinator for the University of Michigan’s Outdoor Adventure Program, where he planned, organized and led backpacking, rock climbing and sea kayaking trips for participants of all ages. His experience also includes working as a High-Ropes Course Facilitator at University of Michigan’s Challenge Program, where group and team dynamics are the focus. He has several years of extensive experience with at-risk high school students in environmental education and in therapeutic residential settings. Andy served as the Experiential Education Director at Coronado Academy after working as the Assistant Director for the Costa Rica Program of the Academy of Swift River (a satellite program of an emotional growth boarding school based in Massachusetts). Andy is bilingual and has lived in Costa Rica since 2001.
Andy’s work is his passion. He views his work with adolescents as a unique opportunity to positively impact the future of our global community. Andy speaks fluent Spanish and has traveled extensively throughout Latin America, experiencing the warmth of the Costa Rican culture first-hand. He holds a position on the Board of Costa Rica Rainforest Outward Bound, overseeing safety of their courses in Costa Rica. As Experiential Education Director of New Summit Academy, Andy organizes on and off campus recreation activities, “Aventuras”, organized sports and cultural immersion opportunities.

“I believe that education is a process of living and not a preparation for future living.”  –John Dewey, from a pamphlet published by E.L. Kellogg and Co.(1897)
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​James Woody, BS

Operations Director & Co-Founder 

Administrator at The Bridge Costa Rica

James Woody is a high school math teacher who believes in incorporating real-life applications of curricular materials into his classroom every day. He has extensive experience in electrical systems design, building design, construction, and engineering. He enjoys the art of creation, especially when working in the woodshop. Mr. Woody is highly respected by the students he teaches thanks to his consistent, structured expectations and his ability to make math and science come alive through hands-on activities and real-life applications. James is dedicated to his students, serving as an honorable and influential mentor both inside and outside of the classroom.

Most recently, James took on a more influential role at The Bridge Costa Rica where he serves as both an administrator and mentor to the young men participating in a gap year experience. He helps organize, teach, and mentor… all with a smile on his face!

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Dr. Danny Recio, MA, PhD
Co-Founder of New Summit Academy
Director of The Bridge Costa Rica

Read a message from Danny here.


Danny Recio is Director of The Bridge Costa Rica and a Co-Founder of New Summit Academy. With more than 20 years of experience as a clinician and a guide toward young people finding wellbeing, Danny's inspiration toward the work remains as strong as on day one. A native of Costa Rica, Danny’s worldview was deeply shaped by his formative years studying in South Africa, where his curiosity for the mysterious and diverse world of people and culture took root.

Trained in Clinical Psychology in both Costa Rica and the United States, Danny took an interdisciplinary path for his doctoral studies, earning his degree in Integrated Ecology. His approach to working with students draws from a rich tapestry of disciplines - including Anthropology, Evolutionary Biology, Constructivism, Neuroscience, and Ecology - reflecting his belief that, like nature, learning thrives through diversity and interconnectedness.


Danny is known for his keen ability to understand the worlds his students and families have constructed, and designing sophisticated intentional experiences to explore new ways of finding wellbeing. His work is grounded on guiding people to their zone of optimal learning, where they can capitalize on their strengths as well as safely venture to adopt new skills by pushing the edge of their abilities. Outside of his professional life, Danny seeks to become a master of the ordinary, by learning to take in the simple and profound experiences of everyday life. Whether he’s out in nature (especially the ocean), sharing human moments with people of different walks of life, enjoying the preciousness of being a dad and husband, or diving into the never ending quest to comprehend how humans work, he seeks to understand what it means to truly live a life worth living.