Randolph Community College Students
Meet Costa Rican President

ASHEBORO (June 27, 2007)

 

When Randolph Community College students Jennifer Hardin and Sara Wrenn were in downtown San Jose on June 16 shopping at a local market, they spotted a large group of people, according to Spanish instructor Danielle Richardson. Hardin asked a security guard what was going on, and he told her it was Dr. Oscar Arias Sanchez, the president of Costa Rica.

Richardson said the girls then asked the guard if they could meet the president, and the guard agreed. Both the girls had a conversation with President Sanchez, who was very impressed that they were in Costa Rica for a month studying Spanish.

"(President Sanchez) thinks very highly of the United States and is in the process of trying to pass a bill called TLC, which will be similar to NAFTA in Costa Rica," said Richardson. "The bill will allow for more private businesses from the U.S. to come to Costa Rica."

Richardson and Todd Thompson, RCC philosophy instructor, accompanied 25 RCC students to Costa Rica on June 3 for the month-long Travel Abroad experience, in which the students could earn up to 12 course credits in Spanish, humanities and philosophy.

Jennifer Hardin (left), of Asheboro, and Sarah Wrenn, of Siler City, with the president of Costa Rica, Dr. Oscar Arias Sanchez, on June 16, 2007 in San Jose, Costa Rica.

President Sanchez won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987. He was president of Costa Rica from 1986-1990 and was re-elected again in 2006 and he will be the president until 2010.