🌟 Graduate Feature: Jill Zimmerman
📍Santa Ana: Jill’s Journey to Relocating and Teaching in Costa Rica
In May of 2025, an enthusiastic and eager entrepreneur with a passion for learning took a leap of faith and made her way down to Costa Rica to embark on a life-changing journey – becoming TEFL certified with Costa Rica TEFL. With a background and teaching experience in Special Education, Jill was excited to blend her skills and connect with people from different cultures.
Today, Jill is living out the life that she wishes she had started sooner in Santa Ana, Costa Rica. She is blending her past skills with new ones she gained at Costa Rica TEFL, and is able to focus on the dream she always had: to live and teach abroad.
“Note to self: Just do it! Don’t put it off!
🎓 How was your experience with Costa Rica TEFL?
Jill said that the TEFL course gave her “concrete strategies for lesson planning, classroom management, and adapting lessons for different age groups and proficiency levels”. She is able to feel confident teaching any level within a wide range of age groups after graduating from our course. The practical teaching experience was something that Jill valued and took away from Costa Rica TEFL.
“Completing the TEFL program provided me with not only teaching techniques but also the confidence to step into an international classroom. It emphasized professionalism, adaptability, and reflective practice—qualities that have made me more effective as a teacher abroad.” – Jill
Jill specifically loved taking her TEFL certification in Samara, because she was able to spend all of her free time at the beach. She explained that she felt “so free” running along the beach every morning. There’s nothing like feeling the sand between your toes on a beach run. Every Saturday, she would shop for fruits and vegetables at La Feria, (our Saturday market) and meet new people. Jill got to experience the magic that Samara offers during her four weeks here and now has a “home” to return to on the weekends.
🎨“Santa Ana balances Costa Rica’s warm, traditional charm with modern luxuries.”
The transition to city life was smooth because Jill loves that there are pottery shops and local sodas to eat at alongside upscale restaurants. All of the amenities that she misses from home are readily available in the central valley, and she is able to experience an authentic Costa Rican “city living” experience. To her, part of what made her want to move was to experience a rich new culture. Living in Santa Ana has helped Jill to feel a part of the thriving community that exists there.
📚Teaching in Santa Ana
Jill teaches Honors English to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. She is an enthusiastic teacher and really enjoys connecting with her students and meeting them where they’re at. She does special handshakes with each student at the start of each class, which has helped keep the students motivated and create a positive learning environment. For Jill, having the classroom be a safe place to be is crucial.
✈️ Inspired? Your Adventure Awaits
Jill’s story is a great reminder to take the leap and make those decisions that you’ve been wanting to! That itch to move abroad, to travel, to experience new cultures, is there for a reason. Don’t hold yourself back! Costa Rica TEFL could be that next step to a new life you never imagined was possible.
👉 Ready to start your journey of life in Costa Rica? Apply now or learn more about our program!
By: Courtney Perich
Administrative Coordinator CRTEFL