Many of our Outward Bound Costa Rica alumni go on to do amazing things after course.

Our Girl Scout Destinations Alumna Ashley Chico recently won first place at the Bright Ideas STEM for Today’s Youth finals, a multi-state competition where high school students show how science, technology, engineering and math can bring their ideas to life.

Ashley’s winning idea, called “Registrarme,” is a tablet program aimed to help hospitals overcome translation barriers by allowing people who cannot read or write in English to register at a hospital or medical facility by responding verbally to prompts, eliminating the need for an interpreter.

Ashley’s idea beat out five other ideas from across the United States to win first prize. As winner of this competition, she will go to New York for 11 weeks to work to make her idea come to life, developing a virtual prototype and business plan with innovation firm Fahrenheit 212.

Ashley was a participant on our Scuba & Sea Turtle Adventure course in summer 2014.

“Definitively Outward Bound Costa Rica made an impact on her life to become who she is today, a young woman entrepreneur,” said her father Dr. Geo Chico.

Congratulations, Ashley. Keep pursuing your dreams. We are excited to watch you soar!