GW Chaperone Spotlight- Carol Ann Van Deventer

Meet Carol Ann Van Deventer! Carol Ann took a moment for her busy teaching schedule to reflect on the Global Works trips she has taken with her students from Brooklyn Latin School.

How Many Global Works trips have you traveled on? Three!

Where have you traveled with Global Works?  Costa Rica and Puerto Rico

What is the favorite place you have visited on a GW program?  Albuergue Nacientes Palmichal which is an eco-lodge in Costa Rica in a beautiful setting run by the most wonderful people. We spent a lot of time interacting with the local community there and my students learned a lot about sustainable tourism, nature, and how valuable of a resource water is.

What can you not live with out while traveling? My water bottle.

What do you do when you are not traveling with Global Works? I am a full time high school teacher in Brooklyn but I try to travel whenever we have extended breaks.

Where do you want to travel to next? I hope to go on safari in Kruger National Park, South Africa one day.

What is your favorite GW memory? There are too many to choose from so I will just choose my most recent memory which took place during a long hike to the peak of El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico. Coming from New York City, a very steep hike was a new challenge for many of my students. Sure enough, half way up two members of our group were feeling very nauseous and almost totally defeated. Although we gave them the opportunity to go back down, they both were determined to make it to the top…and so they did! Seeing the entire group reach the peak with all that hard work behind them and experience the most amazing views and memories was so worth it (for them and for me!) We were also the last group on the trail and it was raining as we came back down so it was just us, the sound of the coquí frogs and the rain…it was all very mystical!