The Co-Founders of Abriendo Mentes

Abriendo Mentes was founded by Meradith Leebrick and Drew Ragland on June 8th, 2009. Meradith and Drew both initially came to Costa Rica to study Spanish and experience the country's biodiversity and culture. After living in Playa Potrero for a few years, they developed many friendships within the local community.  In the summer of 2009, they decided to dedicate themselves full time to the Abriendo Mentes Project.

Meradith is from North Carolina and graduated from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a background in Business Administration. She enjoys teaching the younger students, and in her free time she likes to travel, hike, and swim in the Pacific. Drew is from Houston and graduated from St. Edward's University in Austin with a background in English and Spanish. Drew’s main focuses are the adult classes, private lessons, and experiential learning activities. Outside of teaching, he is a naturalist who enjoys spending time studying the wildlife of Costa Rica and Central America.

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