Orientation in Costa Rica

In This Issue

Orientation in Costa Rica by TBB Student Genevieve Moss Hawkins

Donors

Special thanks to those who have recently given financial support to Thinking Beyond Borders.

Leadership Donors
$10,000 - $24,999
Anonymous
Proctor and Gamble (Old Spice)

Visionary Donors
$5,000 - $9,999
Gerald & Paula McNichols Family Foundation

Global Citizen Donors
$2,500 - $4,999
Anonymous

Empowerment Donors
$1,000 - $2,499
Diane Foye
Patricia May
James & Erin Moorhead
Lawrence & Elizabeth Noble
Janet & Bob Pendoley
Heather Stakich
Christopher Verdini

Core Donors
$250 - $999
Virginia Blankenbaker & John Williams
Bullpen Brawlers

We continue to update our website with a Complete List of TBB's financial contributors.

We are currently fundraising to provide scholarships to students in need so this powerful program will be available to all qualified applicants.
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Thank you
Pilar, Travis, Marlin, Ronald, Walter, and Ricardo for all your help in Costa Rica!

Surf Lessons

Yoga on the Beach

The 2009-2010 Group

Translations September 2009

Greetings!

I just got back from spending nearly two weeks with this year's TBB students and Program Leaders in Costa Rica during the student orientation. I was impressed by their passion and enthusiasim and the many different reasons they have each chosen to be a part of TBB. But, I'm going to let Genevieve tell you a little more about their experience in Costa Rica...

Orientation in Costa Rica
by TBB Student
Genevieve Moss Hawkins

There were twenty-one of us packed into one pick-up truck. One tiny wooden pick-up truck. We were returning home from our rainforest hike down to this picturesque waterfall and swimming hole. We had taken three taxis to get there, which was a challenging ride in its own right. The dirt roads up to the trail were steep and incredibly rocky. The 4-wheeldrive on these taxis was in full effect. So when we see this tiny wooden pick-up truck coming down the road to get us, we were a little concerned. The leaders told us to pile in the back, so that we did. We somehow had to squeeze in fifteen students, four leaders, our guide Ronald, and the driver. We piled eighteen of us in the back. A few people were sitting against the back and side walls and some were sitting on the walls themselves. The rest were forced to stand in the front and middle of the trunk, leaning against the driver's cabin for support. They stood right up against each other, three rows deep, swaying with each other over every little bump. Up and down we bounced for what felt like hours. It was treacherous, it was scary, but it was hilarious. We laughed together at every crazy bump and awkward touch. It was a complete team effort! Read More

Facebook Facelift

We're thrilled to announce we have published a new Thinking Beyond Borders FAN PAGE on Facebook, and we want YOU to become a FAN! Unlike our current boring profile, the FAN PAGE is filled with great content including videos and photos from past and current TBB gap year programs, links, discussions, and much more. Become a FAN to join the growing TBB community and engage with a committed group of AGENTS OF CHANGE.

Movie Review: The Corporation
directed by Mark Achbar & Jennifer Abbott

The corporation as an economic and social entity has evolved over the last 200 years. Its influence over global politics and its reach through the products created touch the daily lives of virtually everyone on earth. Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott set out to analyze the legal, social, economic, and political standing of corporations. Utilizing an engaging and dynamic editing style that pulls together interviews and short news-style stories, the film traverses a wide range of issues associated with the function and dysfunction of corporations. While there is certainly a lean toward the political "left" in its messages, it accesses a wide variety of leaders from the business, academic, and political world to provide a range of perspectives and opinions that are compared and contrasted. Read More

As Genevieve mentioned, these new TBB students are part of this much larger community - thousands of people - who have helped to make this experience possible and supported them. Parents, friends and family, donors, volunteers, partners abroad and in the US, TBB staff and the Board of Directors, educators and profesionals who have shared time and advice, and last year's students have all invested in them. Whoever you are, thank you, for your support!

The group is now in Ecuador, about to begin a reforestation project. You can look forward to hearing more from them next month. In the mean time, as they say in Costa Rica...

Pura Vida!

Sandy Pendoley

Co-Founder
Thinking Beyond Borders
www.thinkingbeyondborders.org

Thinking Beyond Borders is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.