Some teachers and students from Blue Hills Regional Technical School Take Trip to the Dominican Republic

By Judy Bass

Twenty-three students and three teachers from Blue Hills Regional Technical School in Canton went on a trip to the Dominican Republic during April vacation (April 12 through April 19, 2013) that mixed pleasure with colorful sightseeing and emotionally rewarding charitable endeavors.

Students participating in this trip, all of whom are 12^th graders, were Janelli Aguilar, Emilie Burns, Kristen Callahan, Ariana Chappelle, Denise Correia, Danielle Demers, Samantha Diauto, Alexandria Duplantis, Melonie Fedorchuk, Kristina Flaherty, Ronald Gauld, Drew Johnson, Yenifer Mendoza-Tobias, Melissa Lara-Baez, Aaron Nesselle, Marissa Peele, Kristen Peterson, Jasmine Raynor, Rachel Rudin, Jeffrey Sanchez, Valeria Davila Sigarrostegui, Rachael Straehle, and Jimaira Vazquez. (Each student/parent paid for airfare and hotel and then everyone participated in fundraising for excursions, expenses, etc. The Booster Club, a group of Blue Hills parent volunteers, donated the students’ to-and-from Logan Airport transportation fee.)

The faculty chaperones were Spanish instructor Ana Peach, who also organized the trip, Culinary Arts instructor Heather Irber, and English instructor Rebecca Ray.

“I wanted to take this trip because I've never been out of the country and I knew it'd be a great experience and opportunity for me,” said student Rachel Rudin of Holbrook.

There were important intangible benefits of the journey, such as the gratifying personal growth achieved by many of the participants.  

“In one week, I saw transformations take place in our students,” said Peach. “I find them evolving into physically and emotionally stronger individuals and in certain situations, becoming kinder to themselves and others. They also learn to be more flexible, appreciative, responsible and mature.”  

Their eagerness to absorb new sights and enjoy every picturesque moment to the hilt was evident. “Every activity we did, from going to the beach, the pool, zip lining, exploring caves, or visiting historical monuments, was an incredible experience,“ enthused Valeria Sigarrostegui, a student from Randolph.

With fund-raised money, the students purchased notebooks, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, crayons, and some art supplies and stickers and put them in donated book bags for the children of the DREAM Project.

“Definitely the most memorable experience that I had was visiting the DREAM Project in Cabarete,” said student Aaron Nesselle of Randolph. “We brought supplies to the kids there and we sang songs with them. The little boy that was holding my hand was really shy and wouldn't talk or smile. I had found a five peso coin on the ground and I will never forget the smile that came over his face when I gave it to him. After that, he told me his name and started singing with the other kids and it really made me feel good.”

According to the DREAM Project’s web site, “Our vision is that all children born in the Dominican Republic have the opportunity to receive an education and learn to their full potential. It is our hope that our efforts can be multiplied to allow the opportunity for every child’s gifts and challenges to be met with support. It is our goal to break the cycle of poverty and change people’s destinies. It is our dream that the world will be a better place for the children and families of the next generation.”

Peach said, “Our visit included stays in Santo Domingo, San Cristobal and Puerto Plata. Some of the things we experienced:

• Discovering part of the Dominican history visiting the Colonial District and its monuments. Santo Domingo is a magical city, full of history, culture and amazing landscapes. We visited the most important monuments: the first cathedral in the Americas, Columbus Palace and the National Pantheon.
• Visiting the Pomier Caves, a series of 55 caves located north of San Cristobal in the Dominican Republic. They contain the largest collection of 2,000-year-old rock art in the Caribbean primarily by the Taino, but also by the Carib and the Igneri, the pre-Columbian indigenous inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and some of the Lesser Antilles.
• Spending a perfect day of adrenaline rush and fun - a treasure you won't find anywhere else in the world. We visited the Damajagua Falls! These were nestled in the rolling hills of the Northern Corridor mountain range and behind the long stalks of sugar cane.  Mother Nature crafted twenty-seven awe-inspiring pools, etched out of limestone for our enjoyment to swim, jump and slide on.
• Visiting the Fort San Felipe built in 1564 by order of Philip II of Spain and is Puerto Plata's oldest surviving building. It was a formidable construction, designed to strike fear into any would-be-invader's heart. Its 2m-(7 ft.) thick walls, squat doorways and moat filled with sharp coral and swords served to keep people out and, when the fort later became a prison, worked just as effectively at keeping people in.
• Zip lining on 10 platforms through the forests of Puerto Plata.
• Riding the cable car up to the top of the Isabel de Torres Mountain admiring breathtaking views of the bay and the Atlantic Ocean. 
• Going to a local school to give some donations and some voluntary work.
• Spending time in the sun in the beach in our hotel; students went horseback riding, received dance lessons and learned how to kite surf.
• Enjoying a beautiful day snorkeling and sailing on a catamaran cruise. Sosua Bay had an amazing coral reef.

“The Domincan Republic is such a beautiful, breathtaking, and lively country,” said student Valeria Sigarrostegui, “and I will never forget this trip where I have learned so much about myself, other people, and have made such close friendships with some terrific people.”

“Another memorable experience I had that really touched me,” said Aaron Nesselle, “was one of our shortest stops, in Sosua. We stopped at a synagogue where our tour guide, Jose, explained that after World War II, the Dominican Republic gave refuge to Jews who were escaping Europe and these Jews built up the beach town there. Being Jewish myself, seeing the Dominican and Israeli flags fly side by side in the wind was very heartwarming and is a sight that I will never forget.

“The trip really made me value my education,” he continued. “Schools in the Dominican are not for a full day and as much as I may think that it would be a good thing, they are finding out that it's not sufficient for these kids to succeed, and they are struggling. My education is what will help dictate my future….”