KASSIA
Exceptional Education Undergraduate |
KASSIA
Exceptional Education Undergraduate |
Tonight marks the third night that I have tried to write my final post to wrap this unbelievable experience up, and as we all know, the third times the charm. Two days in to the semester, and I cannot stop thinking about everyone back in DR. I can't stop thinking about the girls at the Foundation and the kiddos in my classroom the last few days we were there. I'm hoping the best for them and wishing that I could be there to do whatever needs to be done. I may have come home last Friday night, but a very big piece of my heart stayed there with them. That's why I feel like I am truly stuck on this doodle. I drew this on the airplane leaving Puerto Plata in my World of Sudoku book. I couldn't concentrate on the puzzle before me so I drew the image that I saw outside the airplane window. The mountains in the background, the bright blue sky, the green so strong I could smell the fresh grass and feel the breeze. I do not draw often, and I'm not very good, but this little doodle represents the piece of me still in DR and the promise I have made to return someday.
I can't even begin to express the gratitude that I feel for having been able to go on this trip to the DR. I want to thank Tamara and Wendy, my parents and family, my cohorts, Buffalo State and the IPDS program for putting this incredible program together, and a huge thank you to the donors at the school that made this program possible for all of us by means of your financial gift. I also want to thank the Mariposa DR Foundation and Tricia and both Sarah's for all that they do and did for us. Please look up this incredible foundation and movement that is happening! It is going to change the world by empowering young girls and supporting change in Cabarete and surrounding areas. The things that I learned through this experience will stay with me forever, and thankfully, I have these blogs saved on the world wide web to view at any time I desire to remind myself of the incredible journey that I underwent. Only two and a half weeks to experience a calling. Such a short amount of time to see the reality of another culture and especially another education system in need of so much assistance and development. The people in the DR will forever be a part of my heart, and any time I am missing them or just being a part of such an amazing movement, I will look at this doodle and remember that there is so much hope and so much change that is coming to the DR. I hope to be a part of this change someday. I hope to return and give more of myself to the cause, but for now, my calling is to finish my degree at Buffalo State. I'm officially a senior and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I will work hard while being motivated by whatever will be in my future. I have so much that I am thankful for. I am thankful for January 2017.
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"There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home." I don't have any ruby, red slippers to click together, but I figured I'd try any way. The length of this trip is certainly making an impact on me now. It's been a long time since I've hugged the people I love the most. It doesn't feel like quite enough just to hear their voices anymore. I want to see them. I'm homesick. I'll admit it. The strength you heard in my voice a few days ago is wavering. I tear up a bit easier when I get a moment of silence by myself to think, and unfortunately it's very clear to me that my patience and adaptability is thinning too. The finish line is in sight, but I'm worn down mentally and even physically (Mio estomago no es bueno). Here's another place for a shout out to my roommates. We are all feeling this homesickness and feeling of "being ready" to go home, but this morning when I felt the tears pricking at my eyes, my roommate said, "We can do it. Just five more days." I've heard the same thing from my parents and boyfriend, but it held a different weight coming from someone who is really feeling what I am feeling right this moment. So truth be told, I'm struggling to stay strong, but it's true that five more days is all we have here in the Dominican. The truth is that is also sad in its own way too. In five days, this will all be a distant memory for me, but life here in the Dominican keeps moving. Their reality doesn't come home to Buffalo with me.
So to say that a whirlwind of emotions is happening inside my little brain and heart is an understatement. In a half an hour, our group gets picked up to go back the Coral private school to spend some time in our classrooms and interact with the kiddos. I feel fear that I don't have enough strength to teach and lead the way I did in the beginning, but quite frankly, it's time to get my teacher clothes on and make it happen. Five more days to make an impact is all we have, but (here come the tears) Mom, Dad, Mike, Vera Jean, and the rest of the people I love and miss, I cannot wait to come home and see you and hug you. Sending all my love, Kash For the first time in these last two weeks, I have finally found a few minutes to sit outside on our porch and listen to some music. It is such an amazing feeling to relax looking at beautiful scenery and listening to melodies that hold memories, emotions, and personal contentment. I also feel a strong sense of relief because tomorrow is our first fully free day here in the DR, and I cannot wait to do NOTHING. By nothing, of course, I mean listening to more music, enjoying some time soaking up the sun on the beach, and taking some time for mental health and happiness. We have certainly not been swamped with things to do, but being here has meant we are busy, and if not physically busy then we are mentally busy and working or processing or whatever it may be! So the good vibes are strong tonight. Everyone is safe. We are learning more and more every day, and it is only five and a half days until I get to see my loved ones again and come back to the reality of the beautiful Buffalo, New York. I have learned so much here and have seen so many doors open for my future. I've felt peace about making some big changes in my life when the time is right to help those in poverty and harvest the very fertile ground here in growth of education. This brings me to another paragraph with a very different tone.
I have not discussed a whole lot yet so far in my blogs about the reality of the education that we have been exposed to in DR. We have seen both private schools and public schools. The reality is though that this education system is developing. We have seen a horse of a different color being here and gaining this perspective of education. First of all, the students love coming to school. They love learning, and though they still have behavior problems in their classrooms, let me assure you that they value their education so much and know that education is important. Secondly, the education system here is, as I already said, developing. They are far behind the States. Qualifications for teachers are different. Attendance is different due to natural weather issues and cultural hurdles. Classroom Management is different. Many, many things are different. I have so far not seen any technology utilized in a classroom. I have seen chalk boards and white boards and text books. Things that we use everyday in education is not really a thought here because education is still growing. People are fighting for education to become more important culturally. There are no SAT's or state tests. There are no iPads or Smartboards. The economic status of country will not allow it. The most encouraging part of this though is that there is a fire and a desire that is burning for education. There is a movement that I could only dream of being a part of that is pushing for more schools to open their doors to knowledge-thirsty students. It just takes time. Raising awareness about this is very important, and I will not rant on and on about what I have seen here. I felt that it was due time to bring it into my blog though. There is a lot to learn here and such a need for educators. Here is where I will insert a plug for my personal research. I came into the DR with a plan to do my research on comparing Special Education in the States to that of the DR. Let me say that this "comparison" has drastically evolved into just focusing on the DR and their lack of Special Education. When I say "lack," I do not mean improper IEP's or no handicap ramps, I mean there is nothing here for Special Education. I want to briefly throw this out there, but for more information and findings, please visit me this year to view my finished research. All of our research will be shown at different events at Buffalo State, but please believe me when I say I will be spreading my findings as much as I can. Awareness breads change. Putting this all into words is such a difficult task, and it is a far deeper blog than I originally thought it would be. This is the beauty of writing. To put on paper (or a computer screen) the things I have seen and felt and experienced and learned is so hard to communicate. Educate yourself on other cultures. It is how we grow. It is how we change. It is how we use our life to help other people. I am so thankful for these two and a half weeks. This morning, I worked on my online class that only a crazy person like myself would have signed up for during this DR trip. Nevertheless, the class is going well and has enhanced my experience here in different ways. For example, it causes me to choose between responsibility or going out with my peers to do something I don't need to do (such as spending money on shopping or something of the sort). I was fearful that this would take away from my experience here, but it has not, and I am grateful that I am learning so many things here and online. My roommates also get a shout out today because they have helped me by supporting me when I need encouragement, by answering my stupid questions, and by listening to my rants. This class has also simultaneously taught me things that apply to my experience in the DR, and this morning I had to share a really cool experience.
I woke up early to work on the class before the bus picks us up in, oh, about a half an hour from now (I still need to get dressed for the day, of course). My professor is doing a lesson on comprehension through writing, and I thought to myself, "Huh, this lesson is super important. I should probably blog again soon too." Well, long story short, we were given some writing prompts to do some creative writing for five minutes. In those five minutes, I felt a lot of emotion about being here, missing home, and the beauty of being thankful for where I am in this exact moment. This trip has been phenomenal, and the things I have learned have been life lessons. I cannot leave out though that I do miss my home, and being in a different place has been both exhilarating and difficult. Ultimately, I have had to understand though that I am only here for a short time and want to make an impact here. In order to the that, I need to be fully here mentally. I need to turn off the voices in my head reminding me of everything waiting for me to do back home and everyone that misses me and I miss tremendously. My entire being needs to be here in this experience, and that is easier said than done on some days. Only one week to go, and I am ready to soak up every last minute. I do miss everyone at home, but I know that they want me to put my all into this. Before we know it, this experience will be just a memory. Making the most of it is my task at hand! Writing Prompt from Online Class: Outside the Window Currently the weather outside of my window is rainy, windy, and looks nasty. In Dominican Republic, the weather is sort of bipolar, for one moment the hot sun could be blazing and smacking your skin with Vitamin D and a burn. In another instance, the skies start to churn and rain downpours with no mercy on your current location. Today it looks very dreary and chilly. Ultimately though, today especially, I wish I was looking out my window at home. I wish I was seeing a foot or two of snow or the trees surrounding my home. I wish that view could be accompanied by my parents, my niece, my best friend and a cozy blanket, but they are many miles away right now. That view is not possible at this time. I bring my mind back to reality and look outside once again. It really is beautiful, and I can hear the rain drops hitting the puddles on the ground. I can hear the ocean crashing in the background as if it is very angry. I can see palm trees moving at the command of the invisible wind, and I feel thankful for where I am. Five minutes is up. To say that today was an emotional day would be an understatement. After being in this wonderful place for about six days now, today the raw emotions came to a head after watching some very enlightening, empowering, and challenging videos with our group. We have seen the poverty of some areas of DR right before our eyes, yet I believe for myself, it took these videos to really hit home what the situation in this beautiful country is for some of these girls. Not only was I heartbroken at the reality of life that some of these girls face, I felt guilty for being so blessed and ever complaining about the life that I have. Tears streamed down my face this morning, and I was so challenged with 100 different emotions. Guilt, fear, passion, humility, strenth. I couldn't pin point for you what was going through my head as I watched videos of DR girls stand up for themselves as women and proclaim that they are not anybody's mamacita! I was floored by the reality of marriage by age 12 or earlier for these girls accompanied by a baby and often times prostitution as the only means for survival and support for their young family. We complain in the United States about the homework we have been assigned or the attitude a professor has given us or the frustration we have over an Instagram post taking too long to upload. We lack perspective of how other people live, and it literally tears my little heart to shreds. I've never had to endure even half of the hand these girls were dealt, and I am ashamed to realize the things I have complained about or taken for granted. I am ashamed of my generation for not even being able to see past the screen of their smart phones. I am ashamed that we take for granted education and clean water and leftovers. I am ashamed to say that I am weaker than every DR girl I have encountered this last week because I do not know struggle and hardship and need. What is the saddest part about this? Most of these strong girls don't even know how strong they are until they are told a different perspective by someone who desires for them to see a different woman in the mirror. A strong, capable and independent woman who has a future and has control over bettering her life through education and positive influences to break the trend of poverty. They are the most powerful force for change. I have to answer the question for myself... So what? What do I do with this? Where does this take me? How will I listen to my heart and know the right door to walk through? I don't know, but I will. And I am more than thankful that I have experienced this entire experience thus far to change the world in any way that I can, and mark my words, I will be a part of something big. Whether it be here someday or it be in my hometown of Buffalo, New York, changing lives and making girls and boys know that they are worth something and have a voice that needs to be heard is everything! The things I've wrestled with today will not easily disappear from my conscience and mind. I feel that I am forever changed by this experience. How I wish I could broadcast the experience for the world to see in hopes that one person's life could be changed as well. Be thankful for your shower tonight and the bed that you sleep on. Be thankful for your education and the challenges it presents you. Be thankful that you can flush your toilet paper instead of having to throw it out because the sewer system can't handle the paper waste. Be thankful for your shoes, your electricity, and your minimum wage. It's more than many, many people have. Perspective is everything. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e8xgF0JtVg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msshxzc6om0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkeQyB2SobA Our first free day didn't seem to begin so free at all. After a night of late celebretory birthday cakes, this morning felt as though it began far too quickly with a bumpy bus ride to a secluded and scenic location. Was it worth the brain in a blender type of feeling as we drove to our destination? Heck yes! We arrived and got our first glimpse of the incredible Sosua landscape. We stood eye to eye with the zipline that looked higher than any carnival ride we had ever encountered, and we were supposed to zip across this land hooked to a wire?! Well, we did it, and we had a blast! We screamed with excitement as we took in the sites from such a different perspective. A bird's eye view of the magnificant scenery. We flew through the air and landed at each different landing with a brand new feeling of excitement and pride. The instructors would yell, "Bwake! Bwake! Bwwakkee!" which meant that we were to break. I will let you know that for one particular landing, I did not "bwake" well enough and flew right into the protective "pillows" that they used for stoppers. You go, Kash.
The second part of our tour was a super neat monkey sanctuary tour where we got to feed monkeys... kind of. They truly just jumped on us either to get some sunflower seeds and watermelon or they used us as a jumping board to get to another location. Either way, it was adorable and a really fantastic experience. The little guys had been rescued from abusive or unsafe habitats before coming to the Monkey Jungle sanctuary and are now flourishing under their owner's great care. This was truly an experience in the Dominican Republic that I will never forget. I felt small as I appreciated the landscape of the ziplining and the incredible little monkeys that we got to meet. My day today felt like a day of first because it began with the first day we could sleep in. Of course, my body only allowed me until 8 AM, but I really did get some much needed rest and had time to eat breakfast by the ocean, purchase some organic joe from Cabarate Coffee, and prepare with time to spare for the day ahead of me.
It was also a day of firsts because today marked our first Spanish lesson at Mariposa DR Foundation. A few of my fellow Buffalonians and I were yet again emmersed into a classroom setting of Spanish vocabulary and discussion, and it was a blast. It hurt my head and I felt fried like balogna and onions by the time 4 pm rolled round, but I learned so much. What felt like review at first turned into challenging yet do-able Spanish tutoring. The Mariposas and our teacher made the experience as painless as possible, and we got to sit in the seat of a second language learner. Where this hits home for me, as a future educator, is the fact that I will someday be teaching students who are sitting in the same spot as I was today, but their second language will be English. I'll never forgot the feeling of not knowing what was just said although the teacher is looking right at me as though she wants me to respond. Sheer panic. A deer in the headlights expression on my face, I'm sure. Yet my teacher had patience with me and slowed down and allowed time for me to process. I'll never forget how it reassured me that I was not alone and was on the right track by discussing for a second or two what was just said with my Buffalonian cohort next to me. That discussion was allowed by our teacher; it wasn't thwarted at the first sound of chatter. Being a second language learner is difficult. It makes you feel unqualified for the challenge ahead. It makes your brain throb from the amount of effort and thinking it takes to keep up. I believe the thing that makes this process go from open wound status to paper cut status though is the teacher and his/her ability to encourage a positive learning environment in the best way possible. The understanding look on my teacher's face when I said something slightly off was reassuring. The way she worked with me without giving me the answers and made me dig into my memory as deep as I could for the correct verb or vocabulary made me grow as a student and Spanish learner. The hands on activities that she had us do not only taught us new things but cemented them in our heads because we laughed, made mistakes, and understood together. This taught me a lot about teaching students in the future someday who will be in the very same shoes that I was today. As a house, we also did some laundry tonight. We chose our MVI (most valuable items) to be washed in the kitchen sink, and those chosen ones got a nice warm bath with some germ killing detergent. Being in this culture though, I could not help consider the world around me and I tried as consciencously as possible to fill the sink with water and detergent first to soak my clothes. Then on the other side of the sink I filled the second sink with water to rinse my clothes instead of letting the water run to rinse them. Water conservation is a hugely important action here in Cabarete. Not all families have running water at all. Or maybe they only have it for 12 hours at a time and then it is gone for another 12 hours. In the States, we take things such as this for granted because we don't think it matters, but it does matter. Once you have been so close to the needs and troubles of others, many things that didn't seem important before matter far more than you ever thought they could. It is good to be challenged to save our planet's resources for those who are in need and for those who come after we have left our footprint on this earth. Maybe today was a first for the deep thinking I have done regarding saving resources, saving our earth, and saving the people that inhabit it. Two days in to this incredible experience, and the little activist in me is rip roaring. Today was a day unlike any other I have ever had, and I am unbelievably grateful for the things my eyes have seen and my heart has felt. Our morning began at the Mariposa DR Foundation. We were introduced to six or seven beautiful Mariposas, and to say that Spanish was thrown at us would be an understatement. We were submerged, but we were learning and most importantly, we were laughing... all together! We played games and ultimately learned that we are not to be afraid of this learning obstacle but to embrace it and laugh our way through. A very strong lesson was learned today which was that words are not the strongest form of communication, rather facial expressions, tone, and hand gestures can go a long way! Though our first option for speaking was not always the most efficient, we were still able to make a strong connection to the Mariposas we met today. This amazed me, and I found it to be very beautiful and profound.
The tour of the Mariposa Foundation was also a total life-altering experience. To see the actual foundation begun in the name of the Miribal sisters from Julia Alvarez's In the Time of the Butterflies felt so surreal. Their faces painted on buildings, and rooms dedicated to them. It was astonishing to see the impact that those strong and courageous woman had. Though they have all passed now, their legacy lives on forever, and the work that this foundation accomplishes is just jaw dropping. To be a part of a very hands on learning experience like this is a dream come true for me. The very spontaneous Kassia thought today that she would uproot and move to the Dominican Repiblic to give her heart and soul to this foundation first thing after completing her degree at Buffalo State. I can't say that the more level headed Kassia sitting on her porch can say that is totally out of her realm of imagination, but if I would have my way, I'd stay here and dedicate my existence to this cause. I know that sounds very strong, but being emmersed into this culture has a very strong effect on someone like me. I feel strongly about hands on learning and standing up for those who need a voice. That is my life purpose. The culture shock of DR has given me peace in a very strange way. I am seeing people who are happy, genuinely happy, and these people have exponentially less than you and I may have. These people are dedicated to their families, and by dedicated, I mean 110%, their family is everything to them. Children laugh and run and play. They are not on their smartphones. They are not concerned about the latest reality TV show or what celebrity did what shenanigans. They are happier than so many people I come into contact with on a daily basis in the US. This is both perplexing and astonishing. There is so much to learn here, and we have only begun. I am challenged every step I take here in so many different ways. I fell that words cannot come close to what my heart is feeling. Four words I will never, ever forget. After only two hours of sleep and a very early morning for all of us travelers this morning, Tim Hortons was the only thing on our minds. Unfortunately, my mind decided to play a cruel and hilarious joke on me after checking in and getting ready to head out. I sipped my coffee. I looked in my backpack to make sure I had my protective wallet filled with my passport, license, credit cards, 111 US dollars, and my boarding passes, but it was nowhere to be seen. My heart sinks and my stomach drops. I think, "Oh no. I lost my entire wallet at Tim Hortons." To make a very long story short, I ran around for about fourty five minutes in an almost panic that I would not be departing for the Dominican Republic today as I thought I would be. With no passport, my trip was surely over before it had begun. The very abrassive lady at Gate 10 told me those exact words. Ten minutes, and that door was shutting. Sill no wallet in sight. "You're at minute nine," she says. With a minute left to go in this wild goose chase and the doors closing momentarily, I searched my backpack once more in a desperate attempt to find my wallet. And alas, it appeared. It had fallen into a folder and was hiding very well from its frantic owner. I ran onto the plane with only seconds to spare and joined the rest of my group again.
Fast forward fourteen hours, and I'm sitting in a beautiful apartment typing away in shorts and a t-shirt listening to crickets chirp and the ocean crashing. I made it, and we all had a beautiful day walking the beach and getting our bearings. I've never been so thankful to travel all day to get somewhere because the fact that I almost didn't get here due to a very silly brain slip was a very real possibility this morning. Yet here I am. I am very excited to think that I am here for a purpose. Everything happens for a purpose in our lives. Maybe it is a small lesson or a huge milestone, but there is a reason I am here instead of back in chilly Buffalo, NY still. I am determined to find that reason and to reach my fullest potential during this blessed time here with sixteen other fantastic women and whoever else may happen to come along! Feeling the sand between my toes and smelling the fresh Dominican air has breathed some eager anticipation into my soul to find what my purpose is here this January. Each moment has already been a lesson, an experience, and a memory. From taking a shower outside on the roof accompanied by a salamander to meeting our wonderful partners from the Tres Mariposa Foundation and sharing an authentic Dominican meal together, this first day has not shorted me of anything. Fear.. then joy... and finally peace. |
AuthorI am a fourth year student at Buffalo State finishing up my degree in Special education (hopefully next year). I cannot wait to embark on this exciting trip to the Dominican to help other girls and boys and to share laughter and love. My favorite things include music, words, and love. I am outgoing and adventurous and love long walks on the beach. ArchivesCategories |