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Our May 2020 graduating class consists of nine young men who have left an indelible, positive impact on our community. That impact has been felt outside the walls of NSA, especially at our local children’s home Hogar de Vida.
These grads, and many of their peers, have dedicated afternoons and weekends throughout their stay to build connections with the children through play, sing-alongs, art projects, games and just having fun.
This week, the graduates carried ice cream and cake to the children for one final afternoon of fun. The children had plenty of hugs for our graduates, who have gained so much from their experiences with Hogar de Vida.
Many thanks to Daisy, who continues to facilitate our ongoing relationship with this tremendous organization!
These grads, and many of their peers, have dedicated afternoons and weekends throughout their stay to build connections with the children through play, sing-alongs, art projects, games and just having fun.
This week, the graduates carried ice cream and cake to the children for one final afternoon of fun. The children had plenty of hugs for our graduates, who have gained so much from their experiences with Hogar de Vida.
Many thanks to Daisy, who continues to facilitate our ongoing relationship with this tremendous organization!
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This past week, students returned from Integrated Aventuras in the rainforests and cloud forests of Costa Rica with stories to tell. Some of the highlights of the trips included:
Community Service
• Working hard on mangrove reforestation projects along the shores of the Golfo Dulce
• Learning techniques for finding the highest quality coconuts
• Developing the most efficient teamwork techniques for moving 4.5 cubic meters of gravel over two busy days to create rainy season-resistant flooring for new trails
Kayak
• Having the wind and current at their backs and high tides that coincided with arriving and leaving camp which made loading and unloading gear much easier
• Seeing a pod of at least 30 dolphin at sunrise while crossing the Golfo Dulce
• Catching mackerel, red snapper and tuna, and spotting sea turtles, different sting rays and even a whale shark!
Cloud Forest
• Creating the perfect shelter in a two-hour “team-building” exercise (though it miraculously didn’t rain, so the final design unfortunately wasn’t put to the ultimate test)
• Celebrating two student birthdays, marked by setting an NSA record completing an excruciating 3km hike in just 37 minutes
• On the last day of Aventura, making a bonfire by the river and roasting s’mores Costa Rican style
• Students being vulnerable with each other about the bittersweet feelings of moving on, processing the great connections they’ve made during their time at NSA and preparing for the transition as graduation approaches
Community Service
• Working hard on mangrove reforestation projects along the shores of the Golfo Dulce
• Learning techniques for finding the highest quality coconuts
• Developing the most efficient teamwork techniques for moving 4.5 cubic meters of gravel over two busy days to create rainy season-resistant flooring for new trails
Kayak
• Having the wind and current at their backs and high tides that coincided with arriving and leaving camp which made loading and unloading gear much easier
• Seeing a pod of at least 30 dolphin at sunrise while crossing the Golfo Dulce
• Catching mackerel, red snapper and tuna, and spotting sea turtles, different sting rays and even a whale shark!
Cloud Forest
• Creating the perfect shelter in a two-hour “team-building” exercise (though it miraculously didn’t rain, so the final design unfortunately wasn’t put to the ultimate test)
• Celebrating two student birthdays, marked by setting an NSA record completing an excruciating 3km hike in just 37 minutes
• On the last day of Aventura, making a bonfire by the river and roasting s’mores Costa Rican style
• Students being vulnerable with each other about the bittersweet feelings of moving on, processing the great connections they’ve made during their time at NSA and preparing for the transition as graduation approaches
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Our talented seniors at New Summit Academy have received all of their college decisions this month, and most have made the exciting decisions of where to enroll.
This process began last May, when students and families began developing comprehensive lists of characteristics that they believed would lead to continued student success.
Using these characteristics, individualized lists of schools were developed for each student, and the intensive process of honing these lists began.
Alongside this process, students worked on resumes, essays, requesting letters of recommendation and – sometimes at the last minute! – submitting applications that highlighted their strengths and their growth processes over the last year.
New Summit Academy is proud to share some of our College Application stats for the fall of 2019!
Seniors accepted to college: 100%
Acceptance rate of all colleges applied to: 79%
Total Merit Aid Offered: $970,000.00
Acceptances into Colleges that Change Lives: 5
The impressive list of schools – as unique as our students – where our seniors have enrolled or intend to enroll:
Loyola University Chicago, Lynn University, Juniata College, Christopher Newport University, Quest University, University of Oregon, University of Denver, and Lehigh University
Thanks to all of our supportive families and consultants whose participation helped to make this such a successful season!
This process began last May, when students and families began developing comprehensive lists of characteristics that they believed would lead to continued student success.
Using these characteristics, individualized lists of schools were developed for each student, and the intensive process of honing these lists began.
Alongside this process, students worked on resumes, essays, requesting letters of recommendation and – sometimes at the last minute! – submitting applications that highlighted their strengths and their growth processes over the last year.
New Summit Academy is proud to share some of our College Application stats for the fall of 2019!
Seniors accepted to college: 100%
Acceptance rate of all colleges applied to: 79%
Total Merit Aid Offered: $970,000.00
Acceptances into Colleges that Change Lives: 5
The impressive list of schools – as unique as our students – where our seniors have enrolled or intend to enroll:
Loyola University Chicago, Lynn University, Juniata College, Christopher Newport University, Quest University, University of Oregon, University of Denver, and Lehigh University
Thanks to all of our supportive families and consultants whose participation helped to make this such a successful season!
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New Summit Academy has committed to ensure that student interests drive Club formation and weekend activities. This past weekend, four of our most popular Clubs participated in three-day adventures around Costa Rica.
The Fishing Club traveled to the Central Pacific coast, where they trolled the mangroves and estuaries spin casting and fly fishing. Though the action was light, a number of students were able to hook into some red snapper.
The Art Club spent the weekend immersing in the vibrant culture of San Jose. Students attended a play, visited art galleries, took in an independent movie at an art house theater, and had time to work on their own creative endeavors.
The Climbing Club ventured to the eastern side of Costa Rica, to the town of Cachi, famous for its rock walls. The students report that they had an amazing weekend of challenging climbs, and have sore forearms to prove it!
Finally, the Surfing Club took to the northern beaches – Playa Grande to be specific – to take advantage of the area’s world-renowned waves. Soccer on the sand and evening barbecues added to the fun!
The Fishing Club traveled to the Central Pacific coast, where they trolled the mangroves and estuaries spin casting and fly fishing. Though the action was light, a number of students were able to hook into some red snapper.
The Art Club spent the weekend immersing in the vibrant culture of San Jose. Students attended a play, visited art galleries, took in an independent movie at an art house theater, and had time to work on their own creative endeavors.
The Climbing Club ventured to the eastern side of Costa Rica, to the town of Cachi, famous for its rock walls. The students report that they had an amazing weekend of challenging climbs, and have sore forearms to prove it!
Finally, the Surfing Club took to the northern beaches – Playa Grande to be specific – to take advantage of the area’s world-renowned waves. Soccer on the sand and evening barbecues added to the fun!
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The recent student benefit concert and fundraiser, SummitFest, turned out to be a major success. Students have been volunteering at Caritas – a local soup kitchen that feeds up to 60 people per day. A lack of a freezer and needed supplies make their efforts challenging, and students recognized that need. Funds raised online and at the concert were used to purchase a new refrigerator, a deep freezer, and contribute to the ongoing food needs of the organization.
The delivery of the new appliances was overseen by our Experiential Education staff, Miguel, who also helped guide the students in organizing the concert. Great work, Miguel and NSA students!
The delivery of the new appliances was overseen by our Experiential Education staff, Miguel, who also helped guide the students in organizing the concert. Great work, Miguel and NSA students!
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Caritas is a charitable organization located in the center of our small town of Atenas. With a shoestring budget, Caritas is somehow able to provide lunch to humble families every day, serving up to 60 plates of food to community members of all ages.
Our students and staff have been privileged to be able to volunteer for Caritas, helping to prepare and serve food and assist in clean up after meals. One of Caritas’ most daunting challenges is to source enough protein to provide balanced meals, as they lack a regular supplier and do not have a freezer to store the food donations received.
This fact struck our students during their volunteer efforts and they, alongside our staff members Miguel and Peter, decided to make a difference.
Senior students spent their Friday afternoons organizing and publicizing a fundraising concert – which they dubbed SummitFest – to take place on campus. Miguel led their efforts, starting an online fundraising campaign, and Peter led our students in preparing to perform for the show.
The turnout at the concert was fantastic. Staff brought in home-cooked food to sell, and students volunteered selling tickets, running the concessions, managing donations and jamming on stage for the crowd.
The students’ efforts paid off, raising over $2,000 for Caritas, which will be used to donate a deep freezer filled with food for the organization.
Global Citizenship in action! Great work, NSA students!
Our students and staff have been privileged to be able to volunteer for Caritas, helping to prepare and serve food and assist in clean up after meals. One of Caritas’ most daunting challenges is to source enough protein to provide balanced meals, as they lack a regular supplier and do not have a freezer to store the food donations received.
This fact struck our students during their volunteer efforts and they, alongside our staff members Miguel and Peter, decided to make a difference.
Senior students spent their Friday afternoons organizing and publicizing a fundraising concert – which they dubbed SummitFest – to take place on campus. Miguel led their efforts, starting an online fundraising campaign, and Peter led our students in preparing to perform for the show.
The turnout at the concert was fantastic. Staff brought in home-cooked food to sell, and students volunteered selling tickets, running the concessions, managing donations and jamming on stage for the crowd.
The students’ efforts paid off, raising over $2,000 for Caritas, which will be used to donate a deep freezer filled with food for the organization.
Global Citizenship in action! Great work, NSA students!
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This month, NSA’s newest club – the Birdwatching Club – took it upon themselves to organize a weekend trip into the cloud forests of Costa Rica.
The trip coincided with the nesting season of one of Central America’s most stunning and most elusive avian species: the Resplendent Quetzal.
Students and staff departed for the forested mountains on Friday, with the plan to rise early the next morning for the best quetzal spotting opportunity.
After a sunrise yoga session led by one of our Case Managers, Andrea, the group began scanning the lush foliage for their prize.
They identified dozens of different species and, in the end, their efforts paid off with a male quetzal displaying its iridescent plumage to the group for over 20 minutes. Nice work, birders!
The trip coincided with the nesting season of one of Central America’s most stunning and most elusive avian species: the Resplendent Quetzal.
Students and staff departed for the forested mountains on Friday, with the plan to rise early the next morning for the best quetzal spotting opportunity.
After a sunrise yoga session led by one of our Case Managers, Andrea, the group began scanning the lush foliage for their prize.
They identified dozens of different species and, in the end, their efforts paid off with a male quetzal displaying its iridescent plumage to the group for over 20 minutes. Nice work, birders!
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NSA’s host country of Costa Rica provides our students with an incredible opportunity to learn the Spanish language. NSA students do spend time in the classroom studying grammar and vocabulary, but the beauty of our Spanish program is that this classroom study is designed to prepare students for, enrich, and reflect on all of the immersive, cultural experiences that we offer.
This month alone, students practiced their Spanish skills by:
- Exploring the history behind the Oxcart Factory in nearby Sarchi
- Volunteering with children at Hogar de Vida
- Learning about the traditional “trapiche” mill and watching sugar cane be turned into sugar
- Visiting Costa Rica’s National Theater in San Jose
- Surfing some of the nation’s most beautiful beaches
- Spending Sundays sharing cultural customs with their homestay families
There is no better way to learn a language than by immersing in it, which is just what our students do at NSA!
This month alone, students practiced their Spanish skills by:
- Exploring the history behind the Oxcart Factory in nearby Sarchi
- Volunteering with children at Hogar de Vida
- Learning about the traditional “trapiche” mill and watching sugar cane be turned into sugar
- Visiting Costa Rica’s National Theater in San Jose
- Surfing some of the nation’s most beautiful beaches
- Spending Sundays sharing cultural customs with their homestay families
There is no better way to learn a language than by immersing in it, which is just what our students do at NSA!
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This February’s round of Integrated Aventuras engaged students in hiking, rafting, swimming, service work, and other amazing opportunities. While the physical challenge and natural beauty of NSA’s Aventuras are often highlighted in stories and photos, these experiences offer our students so much more.
These reasons, combined with the physical challenge and connection with nature, are why NSA’s Integrated Aventuras are some of the most meaningful and impactful experiences for all of our students, and why our alumni continue to speak about them 10 years after graduation!
- Time away from campus and regular schedules to focus on individualized Personal Growth work
- Experiential, immersive classes in the rainforest, coasts and cloud forests bringing concepts such as forest succession, interdependence of ecosystems, and conservation alive
- Rites of passage that serve as opportunities for students to reflect on their processes and growth at NSA
- Bonding opportunities among cohorts and with Aventura staff that strengthen our NSA community and milieu
- Experiences that emphasize how lucky we are to live, study and work in a place as stunning as Costa Rica!
These reasons, combined with the physical challenge and connection with nature, are why NSA’s Integrated Aventuras are some of the most meaningful and impactful experiences for all of our students, and why our alumni continue to speak about them 10 years after graduation!
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Later this month and into March, our seniors at NSA will be receiving mail and emails with exhilarating news about college acceptances and merit scholarships.
Already, in early February, the excitement is growing as decisions come in almost daily. So far this month, we have had students accepted to some incredible schools, including:
Already, in early February, the excitement is growing as decisions come in almost daily. So far this month, we have had students accepted to some incredible schools, including:
- Juniata College
- Quest University
- Portland State University
- University of the Pacific
- Hofstra University
- University of Virginia Wise
- Western Washington University