About Costa Rica Study Abroad

Costa Rica Study Abroad, S.A. inherits the 20 years old rich and vast experience of Asesoría Gerencial, S.A in the world of innovative and academically sound study abroad programs with USA universities.

CR Study Abroad approach to teaching and learning is one of adult learning. The professor facilitates the learning process, the student assumes the responsibility of learning and the host family and local culture become an unmatched laboratory where to practice and continue to learn. The student-teacher ratio goes from one on one to six to one in the case of the larger groups. The norm is one  teacher per every four students!

Our Directors

Maria Hernandez and Marielos Calvo-Flahive  With twenty plus years of partnership, Maria Hernandez, a social psychologist and Marielos Calvo-Flahive, a former management consultant and Peace Corps trainer are the co-directors of the programs of CR Study Abroad. Both of them enjoyed the experience of study abroad in their earlier student years and consider study abroad a corner stone to developing flexible, sensitive and committed professionals to face the multicultural demands of the XXI Century. Each student becomes a special person who touches their life and vice versa. Frequently their day is lit up with cards, letters and even pictures of babies of former students.

Coordination Department

Jorge Obando  The energetic program coordinator, Jorge, is also a firm believer in the positive impact of study abroad in the personal and professional development of a young individual. He spent a year studying abroad in Thailand. 

Mayra Rubi keeps the company running , kindly assists students with local travel arrangements, but most importantly is the vital liaison with the host families. A trait that students easily get used to is the horizontal and personable style that characterizes the relationship between students, faculty and staff. Learning is paramount but feeling good while learning is vital.

Our Professors

Raùl Gavarrete, is a 20-year plus veteran instructor of both English and Spanish that started his teaching career in schools,  high schools and the University of Central America in Managua, Nicaragua were he has published several poems in various literary supplements.

Bismarck Calero is another experienced Nicaraguan professor with over 15 years experience in Spanish teaching as a second language at some institutes in Masaya, Granada and Managua, Nicaragua as well as Nosara, Costa Rica. 

Marianita Devandas, is our young, dynamic yet experienced Department Coordinator and instructor that besides continually searching for creative and fun ways of teaching Spanish is also an active attorney with the law firm of her family.

Ana Lucia Solis a former Spanish as a second language teacher at the University of Mississippi, United States of America, she also holds an International Relations bachelors degree.

Roxana Rojas besides her job as Spanish teacher, she coordinates a volunteer program known as Reto Juvenil ( Youth Challenge). She also is a business manager.

Two 20-year plus experience co-directors, one younger energetic and study-abroad committed program coordinator and an organized, patient and caring administrative assistant are at the core of the company making any student related issue one that deserves and receives personalized attention.
           

The school is located in the community of Tibás, 2 miles North of San José's Central Park. Thirty plus families with an average of six years experience hosting our students is a selected group of middle class families with an extraordinary disposition to share and embrace the students as a member of the family. The family stays thus turns into a comer stone to the language learning process.
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The trust that CR Study Abroad enjoys from prominent universities in the United States that prefer personalized, custom designed programs that fit their philosophy and curriculum versus larger institutions with curriculum of their own has allow for the development of a sensitive customer needs respond.

In summary, CR Study Abroad simply offer the finest study abroad program in Costa Rica, based on our flawless track-record of an academically and financially sound school.