All language classes are taught by faculty members at Forester Instituto
Internacional.
The Culture and Civilization of Costa Rica class is team-taught by several
members of the College of DuPage faculty and other visiting scholars,
as well as by the co-directors of the program. The co-directors are
available to counsel, supervise and assist students.
Director
Elizabeth Mares
Professor of Spanish
College of DuPage
As assistant professor of Spanish at College of DuPage, Professor Mares holds a B.A. in French, a B.A. in Spanish with Honors, and an
M.A. in Spanish from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Mares served as the co-director of the Costa Rica program in 2005 and 2007. She
also has studied abroad in both Paris and Guadalajara, Mexico. Mares
is currently the adviser for the College of DuPage Spanish Club, Casa
de Amigos, and the French and Spanish language coordinator for the Center for Independent Learning. Mares is also an active member of the Latin American Studies Committee. In addition to her academic
interests, Mares enjoys international cinema and tennis.
Director
Laura Ortiz
Spanish Instructor
College of DuPage
As Spanish instructor at College of DuPage, Professor Ortiz holds a B.A.
in Spanish from Iowa State University, an M.A. degree in Spanish from
Roosevelt University, and is currently working on her Ed.D. in Higher
Education and Organizational Change at Benedictine University. Ortiz served as the co-director of the Costa Rica program in 2007. She has also studied abroad in both Mexico and Costa Rica. Ortiz is currently the co-adviser for the College of DuPage Spanish Club, Casa de Amigos, and is active on the Latin American Studies Committee. In addition
to her academic interests, Ortiz enjoys travel and outdoor adventures.
Andrea Anderson
Counselor and Instructor
College of Lake County
Andrea Anderson holds a B.S. in Education from Northern Illinois University and an M.S. in Human Services/Counseling from National-Louis University. She joined the Costa Rica study abroad program in 2005 as a student and served as the ICISP assistant director in 2007. Anderson also has participated in study abroad programs in Mexico and Puerto Rico. She enjoys and finds enrichment in meeting new people and understanding different cultures. Besides her academic interests, Anderson enjoys dancing and travel.