them the tools to care for their community. The residents of El Cocal asked GVI to help them build a school and a community soccer field on land near that the beach that had been used as a landfill. “The people that live on El Cocal have a completely different way of life than we do. The little things that we do normally as a daily routine or a chore are much harder and not as accessible to them.” observed Isabelle Santamauro ’20. “Since El Cocal is separated by 50 meters of water from the mainland, it is very isolated, and the separation makes change in El Cocal difficult. The residents don’t have the means to pay to haul their trash to the mainland or send their children to school every day on the ferry.” Education in Costa Rica is free to all children, but uniforms, school supplies, food, and the ferry fares necessary to make it possible to be in school are not. The Falmouth Academy contingent helped clean up the grassy, sandy patch of land and transformed it into a soccer pitch. Together with locals and an ever-present gaggle of children, the volunteers leveled ground, hauled trash, mixed concrete, and built goal posts. But the soccer field wasn’t the only thing transformed that week. “The first day was particularly daunting as we were tasked with interviewing people—fumbling our way as no one in our group spoke Spanish.” recalled Becky Butler ’19. “This led to discussions where hand signals worked like translators bridging the gap left by language. But the last day was pure happiness. The field was finally finished with a pick-up game underway; children raced around us begging for piggy-back rides and squealing with laughter when someone scored (or spectacularly missed) a goal. Not a single one of us left that day without a smile on our faces.” Ms. DiFalco is already planning a return trip to Quepos in June 2019.
From Harvard Summer Institute to Falmouth Academy Summer Faculty: Allyson Manchester
In preparation for her new role as Falmouth Academy’s College Advisor, Allyson Manchester attended the Harvard Summer Institute on College Admissions in mid-June. The conference was an invaluable experience for Ms. Manchester as she learned the basics of the college admissions process, engaged in discussions on current topics and research in the field, and made connections with colleagues who work at both the secondary and college levels. As she listened to presentations and held informal conversations throughout the week, she came to understand the uniqueness of the college counseling program at Falmouth Academy. At most schools, college counselors are not able to get to know their students on a personal level nor do they have the time to write the detailed and personal letters of recommendation that distinguish the Falmouth Academy
applicant. Ms. Manchester said she is truly grateful and proud to offer students a high level of individual attention in the college counseling process. When she returned from the Harvard Institute, she launched into her fourth year as an administrator of FA Summer Programs. For six weeks in July and August, she welcomed families from near and far for adventures in fort building, board game design, acting, robotics, photography, ecology, and much more. She especially enjoyed working with FA alumni who served as enthusiastic counselors, including Gia Ledwell ’17, Mary Kate Jones ’17, James Melvin ’18, and Nick Kania ’18. Of course the fact that one of her key responsibilities was to keep the Morse Hall Kitchen freezer stocked with ice cream sandwiches at all times was an added bonus!
The GAM
FALL 2018
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