Adventure in Costa Rica, youth ambassador in Japan

Robert Wasiluk

For 18 Como Park students, the best part of their summer is easy to identify – a weeklong trip exploring Costa Rica’s natural wonders. Spanish teacher Leah Deiman and health teacher Lynn Peterson chaperoned the group with their guide from EF Tours.
Highlights included taking a cooking class, participating in an ecological workshop, touring a coffee farm, snorkeling, a boat tour of a wildlife refuge, visiting the thermal springs, hiking to La Fortuna Waterfall, seeing the volcano in the Arenal region, and ziplining over the rain forest.
The agenda had a focus on interacting with local populations. One of the most memorable experiences was an afternoon at a school where the Costa Rican students shared some of their favorite songs and games.
“They gave us a very warm welcome and made it feel easy to get to know them across our cultures and languages,” Deiman said. “Then, we presented to them the long held proud American tradition of Duck, Duck, Goose.”
Last summer Deiman guided a group of students to Spain. She values the way that international travel expands the worldview of her students. “This experience provided an immersive, educational experience that furthered their cultural understanding, personal growth, and independence.”

Youth Ambassador to Nagasaki
As previously reported in the Monitor, 2025 Como graduate Rafi Gutierrez was selected to be a youth ambassador representing St. Paul in Nagasaki, Japan. In early August, Gutierrez traveled with the St. Paul-Nagasaki Sister City Committee (SPNSCC) delegation to attend a peace ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing.
While in Nagasaki, Gutierrez and fellow youth ambassador Arden Kavaney, accompanied by chaperones, listened to testimonies of atomic bomb survivors (known in Japanese as Hibakusha). They visited the Nagasaki Peace Park, Hypocenter Park, the Atomic Bomb Museum, and had a meeting with Mayor Shiro Suzuki at Nagasaki City Hall.
The official Nagasaki Peace Ceremony at 11:02 a.m. on Aug. 9 was a solemn affair that had a profound impact on St. Paul’s Youth Ambassadors.
“What deeply resonated with me during the peace ceremony was the story of a survivor,” Gutierrez said. “His words were not filled with anger or sadness, but rather infused with hope that the youth would make a positive difference, leading to the ending of nuclear usage and the protection of our planet.”
The consistent theme throughout Nagasaki is “never again.” The world can never again experience nuclear warfare. The lessons learned from the horrific death tolls and long-term effects of radiation must not be forgotten in future generations.
The same sentiments were shared on Aug. 23 when Mayor Suzuki and a delegation from Nagasaki visited the Minnesota History Center to celebrate “Friendship After Devastation” hosted by the SPNSCC. Gutierrez was a featured speaker.
“Peace begins with us,” Gutierrez said. “The more we speak up, the more powerful we become to create change.”