The Science Department’s trip to Costa Rica has been extended to include rising juniors in addition to the rising seniors who can attend every year.

Due to various summer internships, many of the rising seniors had to pull out from attending the trip this year, leaving only two seniors to fill the twelve available spots.

Anita Chetty, the chair of the science department, emailed the current sophomore’s parents informing them about the trip, the sophomores jumped at the opportunity, filling the remaining ten spots within a week.

“This is such a great opportunity. I’m really excited to go to Costa Rica because I’ve never been there before. And, I’ll be able to do a science project while I’m there,” Adarsh Battu (11) said.

The trip this year will be chaperoned by physics teacher Mark Brada, who has chaperoned the trip once before, and chemistry teacher Mala Raghavan.

“There are lots of things I’m looking forward to, but [I’m excited] to see new places and work with Jimmy, our guide. Every day there will be something new and the amount of activities we will do will be amazing,” Brada said.

The trip will include zip lining, white-water rafting, snorkeling, and wildlife preservation in addition to a research opportunity with a professor from the University of Georgia. If they want, students may continue the research and submit their project to a science fair once they return.

“It’s going to be a great opportunity. It’s really kind of neat,” Chetty said. “You are going to get on a plane in the evening, and by the next afternoon you are going to be on your own private beach.”