Testimonials from former students and families
“When I left my public college prep school in the states for the Friends School, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was lucky. I found a challenging and interesting learning environment, excellent teachers, a welcoming community, and some truly beautiful nature. The workload, while not negligible, has allowed me time to hike almost every day, and to write, sing, play, and dream more than I have in a long while. I have been challenged in all of my classes, and have been enjoying going to school more than I have since middle school… It is truly an excellent school, and it is giving its students excellent opportunities. I am happy here.”
Katie Leader
11th grade international student, 2011
“A wonderful immersion experience while being surrounded by a supportive community.”
Susan Munson
“The confidence and dedication exhibited by the students across the board here are a testimony to the learning that goes on at MFS. I couldn’t be more grateful to MFS for equipping me with the tools I need to live a happy life.”
Daniel Vargas Cambronero
Class of 2009
“I have attended several schools both here and abroad. Of all of them, Monteverde Friends School is the best. Nothing compares to the level of education I have received and I have learned values here that have helped me to grow as a person.”
Pamela Madriz Olivares
Class of 2010
“The natural beauty and sense of community at the MFS are unparalleled. It is a place that I have returned to twice since my year of study there, and I have felt welcomed back with open arms each time. It is a place that will never truly leave you, and from which you will never stop learning, even when you consider your time as a student done. Plus, where else is gym class a hike through the rain forest, history class interrupted by monkeys, or a family formed among strangers in two languages? Monteverde will always be a home to me, and I will forever be grateful to the MFS for fostering that connection.”
Heidi Griswold
“A very creative school, small class sizes, personal attention, the beauty of silence in meeting and consensus building, great field trips, learning a new language…”
Kathy Misak
“We were attracted to MFS for its academically rigorous bilingual and bicultural program. I was able to grow academically on par with my classmates back in the U.S. while dramatically improving my Spanish, all within a setting which prioritised Quaker values of respect and non-violence, which have influenced me to this day.”
“For over a decade, I’ve been returning to Monteverde, volunteering for the past four years at the Friends School. Working here often makes me wonder how my life, and the lives of my contemporaries, would have been different if we’d been able to attend a school like this one, centred on community, support, and respect for each other, rather than anonymity and competition. After a career of teaching adults, I’ve been re-charged by the opportunity to work with these children and teachers, especially in this mountain community of such rich diversity, both biological and human.”
Dr. Kenna Manos, volunteer from Halifax
Nova Scotia, 2012
“We feel so lucky to have the wonderful opportunity of sending our son to the Monteverde Friend’s School. It is such an amazing school and he has some of the best teachers that motivate and inspire him as well as make learning an adventure instead of something that just has to be done. We hope that we can continue to send our children to this school in the future and are thankful every day for this school.”
Bethany Elmore and Adan Fuentes
parents of a local student, 2012
“The integrity of the program, the very different experience of living with a Tico family in some of the most beautiful forests of the world, and the Quaker approach to education.”
Kim Korinek
“All your efforts to provide, not only a great academic school, but also one that allows students the opportunity to grow and mature in their abilities and self-esteem, are a precious gift to each student that attends.”
Dee Sales
Parent of an international student
“The small class sizes are truly incredible. My writing skills in English and Spanish were dramatically improved thanks to all the individualised attention I received. Students and teachers develop very close relationships. They were mentors and friends, not taskmasters. I also appreciated the intergenerational component of the Monteverde community. I felt as comfortable playing a pick up soccer game with 3rd graders or playing Friday afternoon Scrabble with octogenarians as I did conversing with my own peers.”
Heidi Griswold
former International Student
“After MFS, our children re-entered public school in our home-town. I think their experience at MFS helped build their self-confidence. They are now both attending Vanderbilt University, and they credit their acceptance there partially to the fact that they lived abroad for a time, which might have made their applications a bit more interesting.”
