Sometimes it’s not just about the journey or arriving at the destination, but about the people you meet along the way. Melissa Furco, one of the GVI staff and a recent graduate from the University of Tampa, had the most profound impact on me throughout my ACE journey. While Melissa is not a Costa Rican local and only three years ahead of me, her authenticity, her values, and her self-respect struck me and will forever impact my life.
The first thing that I noticed as I got to know her was her adherence to openly presenting her truest self. Coinciding with her steadfast authenticity, Melissa clearly understands her core values and unapologetically chooses to lead a life following them. This inspires me because I have seen countless peers decide to “chase the bag,” meaning to follow career paths that seem the most lucrative, rather than following their passions. Melissa irrevocably rejects that materialistic mindset and explains how her life decisions align with her values of wanting to live freely, explore the world, and make positive impacts on others.
I am so incredibly grateful to have met Melissa Furco because she has been a role model in how to love and respect every aspect of myself.
– Jordon Stock, Stanford Women’s Lightweight Rowing
Finally, Melissa’s respect and positive outlook on female athletes’ physiques helped me. I vividly remember us walking back from the beach and her telling me about how much she enjoyed her brief time rowing in college. The positive way in which she spoke about the strength she gained was so refreshing. While I row, a sport that requires strength for success, I still fall victim to the mentality of not wanting to “look too manly or bulky.” So Melissa’s whole-hearted positive view of my sport and of being a powerful athlete assuaged my negative thoughts, replacing them with a sense of pride in the body I had worked so hard to achieve and has granted me extraordinary opportunities. I am so incredibly grateful to have met Melissa Furco because she has been a role model in how to love and respect every aspect of myself.
Another highlight of my time in Costa Rica was the humbling yet refreshing interactions with locals who do not know, or maybe do not put weight on, the status of a Stanford student-athlete. With the title that being both a Cardinal and a varsity athlete, I feel a constant need to perform, to succeed at everything I do (and on the first try)– to be nothing short of academically and athletically perfect. But, in Costa Rica, that all disappeared.
This experience illustrated the goals of service and civic engagement programs: to be open-minded, to learn from others, and to apply your newfound knowledge back home.
– Jordon Stock, Stanford Women’s Lightweight Rowing
I was a novice once more–and I loved it. Throughout my time, I struggled with the language barrier, tripping over Spanish words and Bribri phrases; I floundered on the soccer field, remembering what it was like to not be an expert at the sport I’m doing; I learned all about their waste-free way of life, casting doubt on American consumerism and my own carelessness. Their self-sustaining way of life, their dedication to the planet and not wasting a single thing, and their mindfulness of their impact on the planet will stick with me. This experience illustrated the goals of service and civic engagement programs: to be open-minded, to learn from others, and to apply your newfound knowledge back home.