Student Stories

Interested in what Verto life in London is like?! This week, we’re featuring Verto Education Trailblazer Katherine DiPaolo! As a Trailblazer, Katherine will share stories of her fall semester in the United Kingdom. Here's her warm, adventurous, and exciting description of her first few weeks in London! *** This is an example of a student's…

Upon receiving my acceptance letter to participate with Verto, my first thought was, “What am I going to pack?!” Being from Cleveland, Ohio, where the only seasons are winter, summer, and construction, I did not feel prepared for a year of tropical weather in Latin America. I can confidently say that I overpacked not only…

For the majority of my life, my diet was simple, noodles with butter and chicken nuggets. My taste buds desired nothing else and I found comfort in the crispness of a perfectly golden nugget. I would soon find that this regular comfort would be considered a rarity in a lot of different parts of the…

Students who participate in a Verto semester become part of the Verto family for life. We love to hear how our alumni are doing and how they have been impacted by their Verto experience, so we sat down with two of our awesome students to catch up. Emma Laredo By the end of her senior…

Nantucket is an island thirty miles out to sea off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The island has a year-round population of roughly twelve thousand people. I was born on this little island and have spent my entire life growing up in this incredibly welcoming and wholesome community. Due to the size of the…

After a chaotic airport experience and a long dark van ride through the city, our group of fifteen strangers from all around the states (and Italy) made it to our first stop in the Dominican Republic. Still groggy from our travels we made our way up to dinner and began getting to know one another.…

As a young person, who was fortunate enough to participate in alternative and experiential education growing up, I know by experience how powerful interactive learning environment can be. Stimulating educational environments where students have a physically and emotionally safe space to challenge themselves for growth are the most conducive to learning.   I still remember…