Costa Rica: Annika Glavan

Program: UW Team Building in Costa Rica, Summer

Annika’s Major: Kinesiology

What is your most memorable experience from your program?

The most memorable experience from my program was when we went white water rafting. This was such a thrilling activity. Not only was this experience fun but it also really honed in on the idea of relying on a team and trusting each other to do their own work and to the best of their ability. This can be a very dangerous activity when not everyone in your raft is working together. Constantly having to look at your partners and communicate is what holds this activity together. I had so much fun making these connections with my group. Once we were able to make these connections we were able to have fun because our trust with each other was already there. It was a great experience and really was the whole outcome of this trip which was team building.

What did you learn about yourself or the world because of your experience?

I learned that I am a very strong team leader. I like to step up to the plate and take on large responsibilities. I feel that I bring great ideas to teams and I am confident in explaining and putting to work my ideas. I also learned that I can be a very strong support system for others in my group. Even though I like to step up I also can help others’ voices be heard as well because sometimes others’ ideas are a better fit for the situation. I don’t always need to be right and I learned that we are always working toward the betterment of the group and that we need a leader and followers. I can fit into both of these spots when the right situations are happening. The world relies on us to run and we need to work with others to do this. Taking responsibility for my actions is a large aspect of this and I fully understand this from this experience.

What is your advice for someone considering your program?

Go on this amazing adventure with an open mind. Be open to trying new things and getting the most out of your experience. This is time for you to grow with others and yourself too. Take full advantage of this and have a lot of self-reflection on what you bring to a team. Also focus on areas where you can work when on a team as well. Owning both of these aspects of being on a team will overall make you a better and more well-rounded employee and team member. When you let what is happening around you happen you can learn new things about yourself and others.