“He’s as good with kids as any teacher I know. He’s caring and warm, and he opens up his village to all of us, and we all feel like we are at home in his country,” Service Learning teacher Andrew Stuart said about Jofreth “Gato” Quesada.
For the past six years, Quesada has supported Stuart on M-A’s annual service trip to Sámara, Costa Rica.
Quesada was working at a surf shop in downtown Sámara when he was introduced to Jesse Friedman, the owner of a tour and trip company looking for a local Samareño to work as a tour guide. This connection opened up new opportunities for Quesada, later linking him to Stuart in 2019.
Quesada grew up in Sámara with his parents, Tessa and Rodolfo, and his two younger sisters, Helen and Sámara, and still lives there today. The serene town is layered with strong connections and community. “We live the Pura Vida,…that’s one of the reasons we live longer,” he said. His warmth and kindness attract him to people in his town, many seeing him as a central figure. “Some people call me the mayor,” Quesada said. “I am always trying to help the community…[the locals] are special to me.”
However, as he got older, Quesada began to confront the realities of his hometown. “Everyone here is really poor…I grew up [in] some bad conditions,” he said. Currently, Quesada lives with his parents in the center of Sámara. “I have a really good relationship with them.”
Over the years, Stuart and Quesada have formed a close connection, spending many days of the trip together. “[Stuart] is more than a friend, he’s like a family member,” Quesada said.
One of the first major service projects the student volunteers take part in is painting schools around Sámara. “I like to paint with the kids,” Quesada said. “Normally, I always try to do everything and make everything run well, but in that situation, the kids do everything.”
After the service team finishes painting, they spend time playing and making memories with the students at the school. “You can see the love in [the student’s] eyes, expecting that you will come back next year,” Quesada said.
Quesada hopes to continue working with Stuart for many years and advance the type of service work they do. In addition to painting and spending time with the kids, he hopes that teaching English to the local students will be introduced. “If you guys can go there and show them your language…[that’s] a door for the future,” Quesada said.
While the kids from the service trip have left their mark on the town of Sámara, they’ve also left a lasting impact on Quesada. Specifically, Quesada remembers one kid who changed his life. Trevor Wargo ’20 invited Quesada to stay with him after meeting him on the Costa Rica trip. “[Wargo] said, ‘Listen, my parents want to meet you, they want you to come [to Menlo Park],’” Quesada said. That invitation showed Quesada how much the students valued him beyond the trip itself. “[The kids] have changed my life completely; they make me a better human,” Quesada said.
