Uno is among the top-selling card games of all time. The goal, of course, is to shed all of your cards, but picking up a second language at the same time is a happy bonus win or lose.
About once per semester, Emily Atassi '25 would pop into the Study Abroad office for a conversation about her travel options. With just about every visit though, Emily was adding a new major. She began her Siena career as a political science major, but then picked up psychology to pair with it. She also added a minor in criminal justice studies, and decided to go for the hat trick by elevating it to a major. With so many required courses, Emily couldn't find the right time to travel abroad. Plus, she didn't want to miss out on an opportunity for service. This January, she's doing both.
Emily's one of six Saints spending a January Term in Costa Rica. Each student got to choose whether to spend the three weeks as a volunteer in healthcare, teaching, animal care, or construction. Emily's teaching English to children at a daycare.
"I really like to help people, and I wanted the chance to do it abroad, so this has been incredible. The people here are so nice. It's just been an amazing experience."
The six Saints are all staying in the same home. They get up between 6:00 and 6:30, eat breakfast with their host family, then scatter to their respective service sights. Then, they reunite for dinner with their host family in the evening. The weekends, though, are for exploring.
"We've really gotten to experience the city life here, but we've gone to the coast as well. We spent time on the beach, saw a waterfall (below), and visited an animal sanctuary."
But Monday through Friday, Emily was in the classroom as an instructor (above). Most of the students are 6-10 years old with very little English education. Emily's worked on their colors and their numbers, and also colors and numbers at the same time during competitive games of Uno.
"I've really tried to incorporate English into playtime. The kids love Uno, so that's been a great way to get them to practice in English!"
Emily will complete her degree (by wrapping up all of her majors) this spring, and then plans to attend law school somewhere downstate. Her dream is to practice international law. She wants to spend more time traveling and more time in the service of others... this experience has been the perfect start.
"I feel like Siena has given me the confidence to step into any avenue and be confident in my skillset because of everything I've done at Siena. I'm ready for law school. I believe I've got the tools to be successful."
