When Physics teacher Eric Loría first stepped onto the UWC Costa Rica campus in August of 2024, he brought with him a wealth of passion for science and teaching. What he didn’t anticipate was the profound transformation of his role, which led to him becoming the recipient of the 2025 Educator Award and also spearheading the development of the College’s first comprehensive policy on Artificial Intelligence.
Before teaching at UWC Costa Rica
Eric taught in Milwaukee (United States), once in UWC he noticed that some students struggled with language acquisition.
“I quickly learned that only about 10% of my students spoke English as their first language. In a subject like Physics, where we deal with complex mathematical concepts and scientific principles, I constantly face three separate diagnostic problems. Is the student struggling because their mathematical foundations aren’t there? Is it the first time they’re hearing these concepts explained in English? Or are they simply not grasping the science itself?”
For many students, especially those coming from European systems, English can be a third or fourth language. This means Eric can’t rely on the baseline comprehension assumed in other Costa Rican schools. “Every student is a different battle,” he says. This reality sets a high bar, which made his selection for the Educator Award, voted on by the graduating class, a surprising and emotional validation.
Eric is clear about his personal standards: “They are very high. I want to give the students everything I know, every day. At the end of the year, I actually felt I had failed in many ways.” By receiving the Educator Award he felt he hadn’t served students perfectly, which forced him to step back. “It made me reflect. Maybe I am too hard on myself. Maybe I am not taking the time to see the small victories that happen throughout the year.”
What the students clearly saw was that Room 14 was a space that transcended the IB curriculum. Eric’s classroom became an informal refuge, a “second home.”
“At some point, without ever needing to announce it, Room 14 became a space that filled itself. I don’t know if that says more about the UWC community or something about me, but what matters is this: it became a place where people came to study, to talk, to teach each other, to film TikToks, to laugh, to watch movies at midnight, and just… be.”
Eric’s relationship with students goes beyond being just a physics teacher; it has evolved into a symbiotic relationship in which they learn from each other.
“It’s what they let me do; you can’t force it. Naturally, they are learning from each other. And I am learning from them too. So, learning from each other, from nature, and for a lifetime, is something I take away from just being here at UWC, and that’s what I’ve brought to the class. Those three things that make up this college.”
Students are his greatest challenge and inspiration. Students actively seek to enroll in this subject, which motivates them to pursue further education. “That energy, that desire to learn, is amazing,” he says. “But the biggest challenge is when they ask for more, and I don’t have more resources. I have to stay up all night researching. Their expectations are what keep me learning.”
This drive to remain current led Eric to enroll in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Leadership Accelerator Course by International School Services. Recognizing AI as an emerging technology, Eric understood the necessity of addressing its challenges, particularly the lack of legislation and proper guidance.
“I took the course at 4 AM for a month straight,” he laughs. The intensive, virtual training focused on building a coherent policy for AI use. What began as a plan for students quickly expanded into a project to create a unified Technology and AI Policy for the entire college, serving students and staff.
Eric began by surveying the community, asking about their usage, concerns, and understanding of the ethical and correct use of AI. “We realized it goes much further than academic honesty. It’s about digital security, sharing private information, and ensuring every member of this college understands when it’s appropriate to use AI and when it’s not.”
The policy is expected to be published and iterated upon during the 2025-2026 academic year, ensuring UWC Costa Rica leads the way in preparing the community for a more inclusive technological future.
For Eric, all these roles, teacher, mentor, and policy architect, are intrinsically linked. “I grew up as what you might call a ‘Third Culture Kid.’ I see myself reflected in these students. To be able to help them, and give them the tools and the freedom to learn the way they want to learn, is priceless.” UWC, he concludes, is simply “much more than a job. It’s a home.”