Dear Families of our now second year students (IB2s)
We just finished an exciting academic year that culminated with our graduation celebrations. Our Firsties (a term of endearment for our first year students, also referred to as IB1s) gave a warm farewell to the graduating class and they are getting ready for their second year at UWC Costa Rica. In this newsletter you can find out more about our new Residential Life & Wellness Director, student leadership roles, where to view grades, ideas of things the students can work on during the break, and new activities coming up in the next academic year.
Enjoy the read and we hope most of you get to see your students or have more time to speak with them as they prepare for their final year at their UWC Costa Rica journey.
Katy De La Garza
Education Director | UWC Costa Rica
Lately at UWC Costa Rica
Welcome to our New Residential Life and Wellness Director
After an exhaustive search lasting almost 6 months and an interview process that included members of the Residential Life and Wellness team, students, and directors, we are excited to announce that Leila Mata will be joining the team as our new Director of Residential Life and Wellness, starting next academic year.
Leila is a psychologist with over 16 years of experience working with adolescents and in educational settings. She worked and lived at UWC Costa Rica for over 10 years, as a psychologist, Residence Coordinator (RC), and Director of Residential Life. She is passionate about our community, teamwork, developing experiential educational programs, intercultural communication, conflict transformation, social-emotional learning, and leveraging the collective experience and knowledge of staff and students. She greatly enjoys connecting with others.
We will share more information about how to contact her in the next newsletter.
Leila is a psychologist with over 16 years of experience working with adolescents and in educational settings. She worked and lived at UWC Costa Rica for over 10 years, as a psychologist, Residence Coordinator (RC), and Director of Residential Life. She is passionate about our community, teamwork, developing experiential educational programs, intercultural communication, conflict transformation, social-emotional learning, and leveraging the collective experience and knowledge of staff and students. She greatly enjoys connecting with others.
We will share more information about how to contact her in the next newsletter.
New Cohort of RA’s and Wellness Ambassadors
The Residence Assistant (RA) Project continues to be a fundamental part of student life at UWC Costa Rica, supporting the holistic development and well-being of our community. We are excited to officially welcome the 19 newly selected RAs for the upcoming year! Also, We are excited to welcome the new group of 8 Wellness Ambassadors for the upcoming academic year! These students have been carefully selected for their commitment to promoting emotional well-being, healthy lifestyles, and a supportive community environment.
RAs are second-year students who serve as trusted peers, offering guidance, emotional support, and promoting a culture of respect, inclusion, and mutual care. Their role goes far beyond conflict resolution—they help build strong, connected residences through regular check-ins, peer-led conversations, and active collaboration with the Residential Life team.
This past semester, candidates underwent a thorough selection and training process, preparing them to respond with empathy and responsibility to a wide range of student needs. Training topics included active listening, psychological first aid, crisis response, and healthy lifestyle habits, all aimed at equipping them to support their peers effectively.
We are confident that their leadership, care, and commitment will continue to strengthen our community and help shape a positive and inclusive residential experience for all. Congratulations to each of them!
In addition to the official RAs, a group of Floating RAs has also been trained. While they are not in active service, they are fully prepared to step into the role if an official RA is unable to fulfill their duties. This ensures continuity of support and maintains the strength of our residential community throughout the year.
New Residence Assistants: | |
Sebastian Torija Louisa van Waes Cat Kelly Arianna Coloso Awa Ndiaye Dara Caceres Daniel Skoven Zoe Crook Sonia Martín Claire Cofano | Taylor Herzog Lucie Mormino Tommy Silbershatz Fabian Niehaus Jamdreyll Lhasel Milly Luna Edwin Rodriguez Olivia Grude Omaatla Manyeula |
RA’s floating members: | |
Modesta Boyo Oscar Warre Aurora Luison | Marie Lou Groß Laura Hernandez |
After completing a training process focused on active listening, stress management, mental health awareness, and peer support strategies, they are ready to take on the role. Working closely with the Residential Life and Wellbeing team, they will help lead initiatives that encourage balance, self-care, and connection across campus. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this new team will bring to our community.
Wellness Ambassadors: | |
Amaya Sophia Cris Calderón Daisy Slotwiner Johanna Rebekah | Paula Ureña Santiago Martínez Tashi Delgado Vanessa Sequeira |
Hello, Agents of Change Facilitators!
The Agents of Change (AoC) Camp offers our students inspiring experiences to motivate them to deliver positive social impact. A cohort of second year students facilitate the workshops to their firsties. We are happy to announce the team of the next 14 AoC Facilitators!
Agents of Change (AoC) Facilitators | |
Andrea Alvarado Ramírez Kritagya Lamsal Laura Jimena Hernández Leontina Trajkoska Anlyu (Anny) Zhang Sonia Martin Hiraldo María Fernanda Baptista | Adriana Cabrera Marín Edwin Rodriguez Cris Calderón Salas Nora Zarraluqui Forest María Paula Ureña Gazo Sebastián Torija Cuellar Michelle Pradeep |
Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) Experiences:
CAS is one of the 3 essential elements to complete the IB Diploma Program. We are very excited to share with you some of the off-campus Service CAS experiences your students will have access to next academic year.
- Library: at the Santa Ana Public Library.
- Elder Helpers: at Centro Geriátrico de Piedades in Santa Ana
- Financial Literacy workshops: at SOS Children’s Villages
- Tutoring and workshops for kids: with the organizations Lifting Hands, Cen-Cinai, and in Santa Ana Primary and High School
Pool Days – Building Community
As the year drew to a close, two special Pool Days marked important transitions in our community. The first was a bittersweet farewell organized by the 1st years to celebrate and say goodbye to the 2nd years. Filled with laughter, gratitude, and heartfelt goodbyes, it was a joyful moment to honor the bonds formed and the guidance received throughout the year.
On a different day, the pool hosted a more reflective and future-focused gathering—this time just for the 1st years. They came together to begin envisioning their upcoming role as the new 2nd years, taking time to evaluate their journey, identify lessons learned, and discuss the kind of culture and legacy they hope to shape in the year ahead. Both days reflected the heart of our community: connection, celebration, and meaningful transition.
Accessing Grades & Reports
We are happy to announce that the grades for semester 2 are now available on Blackbaud. This second semester, our First Year (IB1) students receive Attainment Grades, Effort Grades, Predicted Grades, and Written Reports, and our Second Year (IB2) students receive Attainment Grades and Effort Grades.
Once you login to Blackbaud, you must click on the student photo at the top left of the system. You can access your child’s report card and transcripts. In the following link you can find a video tutorial for viewing and downloading student report cards or transcripts from the system: https://youtu.be/xdabPq5JQX4
If you have trouble accessing the reports, please contact our Administrative Assistant Fiorella Solís at fiorella.solis@uwccostarica.org.
What to do during the holidays?
We would like our students to rest during your holidays and recharge batteries to come back in August ready to start their second year. However, it is very important that they spend some time working on their EE (Extended Essay) and IAs (Internal Assessments) that are core requirements for completing their IB diploma. Doing so will make the first semester of their second year not as overwhelming with all the deadlines. Also make sure to check out the Future Pathways section of the newsletter for more ideas.
Future Pathways
Hey Firstie Families! You have reached the end of your first year at UWC Costa Rica, crazy how time flies right?! Congratulations for completing your first year! We have enjoyed getting to know your students through our 1-to-1 meetings and see your growth so far, and are very excited to see what the second year holds for you.
We recognise that this long break is a great time for students to reflect on their next steps. With that in mind, we’ve provided a comprehensive list of tasks we expect them to complete during June and July. These weeks also offer a valuable opportunity for you to support your child as they prepare for their future pathways.
We understand this long break isn’t just about getting ahead—it’s also a time to rest, reflect, and decompress after an intense year of growth and adaptation, much of which lays a strong foundation for their transition to university. We encourage a healthy balance between academic tasks, future planning, and meaningful rest.
One key conversation to have this break is about financing your child’s future. We’ve already introduced students to financial aid and scholarships, and encourage you to ask them to share these resources with you via Google Classroom. We know these discussions can be challenging, especially if it’s the first time you’re addressing finances in detail. To support you, we’ve included two helpful articles on navigating financial conversations, as well as a selection of recommended blogs and a book, depending on how you prefer to engage with further information.
We’ll reconnect with students intensively when they return and look forward to reviewing their progress. As always, thank you for your ongoing support and for the trust you place in us at UWC Costa Rica. We don’t take it lightly, and we’re honored to walk alongside your child as they chart their future.
Wishing you a restful and meaningful break!
Recommended Reading:
- Overview of Timeline, Basic Information, and Responsibilities – This was shared in January, but it can be helpful in case you missed it. Also, the Google Classroom contains additional information, instructions, and tools that you could use as a family!
- Summer Tasks Infographic – This is a brief synopsis of the tasks your child should complete this summer. They have more detailed information in the Google Classroom and we would encourage you to ask them to show you all the resources available there!
- This book by Frank Bruni is one of the best for breaking through some of the myths we have about which schools are “good” and the relationship between name/reputation of school and ultimate outcomes for success
- We could not be more emphatic in our recommendation of this resource. The Director of Admission at Georgia Institute of Technology, Rick Clark, writes a weekly post in which he and his team discuss every facet of the university process in a healthy and productive way. We recommend they subscribe and read weekly. The post linked above is actually about being a good partner in the process and is an excellent resource for families.
Sustainability Corner
Cahuita Wins Again!
The Waste Reduction CAS held another competition amongst student residences to find out which generated the least waste. After another month of weighing waste, the winning residency was yet again: Cahuita. They won a final meal together at a nice restaurant days before they parted ways for the vacation months.
College-Wide Pilot Program Around Common Theme of Food Systems
With the objective of contributing towards a more integrated educational model, with sustainability as a unifying thread, next academic year we will be implementing a small scale pilot program, that will allow us to educate our students and staff on the importance of building a culture of sustainability, understanding the interconnectedness of our areas and making these visible.
We will do this through the common theme of Food Systems, which draws from something essential to all of us, (and which our community is very passionate about!). It is a way to implement sustainability thinking and actions and to have a concrete case study that involves all areas of the college.
As the end of the year arrives, I express my deepest gratitude to this community for having me for 13 years as Residential Life and Wellbeing Director. It has been a true honor to be part of this journey, witness your child’s growth, and share many meaningful moments. Though it’s time to say goodbye, I leave with a heart full of appreciation and memories I will always carry with me. This community is truly special—thank you for letting me be a part of it.
Nat