BRYANNA
Elementary Education Undergraduate |
BRYANNA
Elementary Education Undergraduate |
Although our last day at the Mariposa foundation was last week we had a reflection dinner with a few of the teachers today. This was a pretty sad dinner because it was our last time eating Dominican avocados and tomatoes (they taste a LOT better) and talking with the staff. It was also very motivating because everything that was said made me think there is something I can do to make sure I continue to inspire others.
After everyone ate we talked about everyone’s thorns and roses of the trip. Everyone had different things to say but we were all in accord that we did not spend enough time at the foundation. The foundation had some of the most beautiful girls I’ve ever seen that were all full of potential. The staff was amazing and made us all feel comfortable. As everyone went around and said their thorns the only one I could think of was the bugs. Other than that, everything that we have done thus far in the Dominican Republic has impacted me positively. I have to say my first rose about this trip is the amount of fluency I gained in Spanish. Living in the States there’s not a lot of instances where you need to speak in Spanish. When you’re in the Dominican Republic the majority of people don’t speak English, so therefore I had no choice but to use the Spanish that I knew. I actually do know a decent amount of Spanish, and now I can have a conversation with a Spanish speaker without being nervous. My second rose would be the friends that I’ve made on this trip. Being a commuter and not being able to dorm I haven’t met a lot of people at school. This experience of living in a house with 3 other people allowed me to meet a lot of people that I could see myself being friends with in the future. I’m also going to miss the relationships I have made with the Mariposa staff because they were very nice and extremely helpful with everything. My third and final rose that I will talk about in this blog is how eager this trip has made me to want to do something to help the girls in my community. I asked a question to the Mariposa staff on how to start something like the Mariposa Foundation in my neighborhood. They told me I should listen to what the community members need and get help from other people who have different qualities. This way, whatever organization that does arise is one that is actually doing something to help the community in many different ways. Every trip has its highs and lows, but all in all this is one that is going to stick with me forever. I’m thankful for the Mariposa staff for showing me how beautiful the Dominican Republic is. I’m grateful for the relationships that I’ve developed on this trip that will hopefully last a lifetime. I’m also excited to say that I’m ready to embark on a new adventure to help my community. This trip is probably the best thing that has ever happened to me, and one day I hope to return to continue to build the relationships that I was able to create.
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AuthorI am an Elementary Education major with a concentration in Spanish here at Buffalo State College. I love working with kids and hope to one day be an ESL teacher. I love to laugh, dance, and spend time with family. I'm excited to embark on this journey to the Dominican Republic and can't wait to see what's there for me to explore! Archives
February 2017
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