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Some students took a detour on their way back to College Hill after the winter holidays. They traveled to Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic, and Arutam, Ecuador, as part of Alternative School Break (ASB)-sponsored service-learning excursions over the January interim.
In Monte Cristi, students volunteered at the Orphanage Outreach English Institute, helping local fifth-eighth graders with their English lessons. In addition to developing lesson plans to teach the language in a fun and exciting way, the Lafayette group also spent time playing with the children and organizing a day of activities, including making friendship bracelets, painting, assembling puzzles, and building bridges out of popsicle sticks. They also sorted medical supplies for Orphanage Outreach’s clinic program.
For team leader Kaitlyn Reilley ’11 (Haskell, N.J.), the trip was more about what she learned from an energetic girl named Nena than what she taught.
“I was sitting on the basketball court with Nena, who was the leader of all the little girls; they would copy anything Nena did,” recalls Reilley. “She sat on my lap and read Beauty and the Beast to me in Spanish. She loved having someone to read to and was so excited to have read the book successfully because she was just learning to read. For most of the time while we were in the Dominican Republic, we taught English to the children. This moment was special because Nena was reading to me and teaching me Spanish–it was a reversal of the teacher and student roles.”
The experience also made Reilley grateful for the opportunities she has available to her at home.
“It reminded me that I am very lucky to be a woman in college living in the United States,” she says. “Many girls my age in the Dominican Republic would not have the opportunity to attend college like I do.”
Other students who traveled to Monte Cristi include Clarissa Brown ’12 (Muncy, Pa.), Daniella Colon ’10 (Bronx, N.Y.), Danielle DiFede ’10 (East Norwich, N.Y.), Jephord English ’12 (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Jamie Federbush ’12 (Bedford, N.Y.), Glenford Robinson ’13 (Brooklyn, N.Y.), David Sison ’10 (Shorthills, N.J.), Julia Tanenbaum ’12 (Mount Kisco, N.Y.), and Alexandra Vrancik ’10 (Cinnaminson, N.J.). Christiane Conn Tomik ’03, assistant director of alumni affairs, was the group’s learning partner.
In Ecuador, students worked with FUNDECOIPA, a non-profit community-based NGO that creates sustainable development in indigenous communities. Arutam is home to the Shuar people. The team carried lumber for the construction of a welcoming center for volunteers and sand, soil, and rocks for a new bathroom. They also pitched in to maintain trails in the nearby rainforest while learning about native plants and animals.
Team leader Emily Bernzott ’10 (Babylon, N.Y.) says participating in the Shuar way of life was an eye-opening experience.
“It was amazing to see that there are people in the world who still have the single purpose in life of surviving,” she says. “The Shuar do this by physically working to sustain their tribe, but also by promoting their culture with as many people who want to learn as possible.”
Caitlyn Flood ’12 (Bellerose Terrace, N.Y.), was impressed with the Shuar’s hospitality and the work ethic that exemplified the phrase “nothing is impossible for the Shuar.”
“Just as nothing is impossible for the people we were working with, it seemed as though nothing was impossible for us,” she says. “We faced physical obstacles that on paper seemed implausible. We carefully climbed up and down the side of a mountain to reach a beautiful waterfall despite there being no clear path and only a rope. It was inspirational to see how dedicated the Shuar were to preserving their people’s culture and land. They loved everything about their land, family, and way of life. The Shuar opened up their home to us and made it clear that we would always be welcome.”
Other participating students include team leader Stephanie Rodriguez ’12 (Jamaica, N.Y.), Millicent Barry ’10 (Somerville, N.J.), Crystal Burey ’10 (Saint Albans, N.Y.), Ramona Fittipaldi ’11 (New York, N.Y.), Tyler Germanoski ’12 (Hellertown, Pa.), William Kingston ’10 (Dover Plains, N.Y.), Caroline Richardson ’10 (Monmouth Junction, N.J.), and Janelle Thompson ’10 (Butler, Pa.). Vivienne Felix, assistant director of the Annual Fund, was the group’s learning partner.