*Team picture coming soon*
Who is the [DR]EAM TEAM?
This blog is dedicated to document growth, insight, and service within our team before, during, and after our service learning trip to the Dominican Republic. Our issue is: Community Development and Education. Our team is composed of 13 awesome participants, 2 passionate experience leaders and 1 dedicated staff adviser. Welcome & Read on!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Hi All! I'm Judy, the experience Advisor. Can't wait to learn more about all of you. I'll write more after others have written. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteHi all,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Sydney, and I am the other experience leader for the DR Trip. I am a senior studying Global Social Change and Development and minoring in Latin American Studies and International Development and Conflict Management. (A mouthful I know!) I am excited to be leading this trip because of its focus on community development in Latin America. I want to pursue a career in international gender policy, so I am also excited to get to work with one of our community partners, Project Las Americas, and their New Horizons program for young girls. Although I haven't been to the DR before, this is my second time leading an AB trip and my third time going on a trip. The Alternative Breaks program has had a huge impact on my life, and I hope that you all are thrilled to embark on this journey with Danie and I.
Fun Fact: My family loves animals and we have raised baby squirrels before!
Hey! sooo... my name is Daniela Richardson-Ferrera (but I go by Danie) and I'm from the Dominican Republic!
ReplyDeleteRichardson doesn't sound very hispanic right? Thats cause my father changed his name when he first migrated to the U.S illegally and wanted a more "American" name so he changed his last name to Richardson. Don't worry good old Ronald Reagan granted him citizenship with the Amnesty act of 1986 but he kept the name either way :)
I was born in Azua, Dominican Republic and I am the youngest female out of 11 children. My parents moved to the U.S shortly after my birth and I lived in DR until I was 5 years old. Living in poverty wasn't easy, sometimes we ate, sometimes we didn't, sometimes we had running water but most times we didn't, we rarely had electricity and everyone around us was extremely poor but as bad as it sounds life was simple and happy on that great island of mine <3.. I've lived in PG County, MD ever since I was about 8 years old. My high school is about 10 minutes away but I never honestly saw myself going to college, coming from poverty its sometimes hard to see yourself like everyone else because you know you have so many more obstacles and struggles that'll stop you from getting there but hey here I am at UMD! My parents don't really speak English that well( I still laugh at their accents! LOL) and they're super Dominican and when I mean super I mean Bachata music blasting from our house, when they're not dancing their laughing, they clap when they laugh and my moms voice is so loud it WILL make you go deaf. My mom is a domestic cleaner and my dad is construction worker. They kinda have the typical "immigrant" jobs. I hate their jobs. I hate it, I really really hate it. Not because I'm embarrassed but because I hate to see them break their back for others who don't appreciate it. Those same jobs put me through school and serve as my inspiration to always aim high in life, the sky is certainly not the limit knowing how much my parents sacrificed. I know I can never stop progressing, "always aim higher danielita always aim higher"<~ thats my mom lol. But one day, I'm going to graduate college, become the awesome person they sacrificed their life in order for me to become and I'm going to buy them a one way ticket back to the DR so that the can live their life in peace by the beach<3 ...Oh! I'm a family science major at the school of public health and Im not quite sure what I'll do with that but I know I love kids and want to make an impactful influence in the lives of the people I help in terms of my career so I trust in myself and God that with determination and hard work I'll never have to live or raise my children in the poverty I grew up in. speaking of poverty..my first experience with service with UMD was last year's trip to the DR. My friend was the leader and she influenced me to apply and I got in! Our trip was AMAZING! There are literally not enough words in the dictionary to express how life changing our trip was. Shortly after returning from DR my leader told me I should apply to be the leader, she kinda saw something in me I didn't see in myself. For some reason I wasn't sure I could do it, you know to actually lead a group of students my same age if not older to MY country and have a productive and constructive experience. But here I am leading the next trip to DR and I couldn't be any happier. My participants are awesome, my co is probably the most organized person I've ever met lol and our advisor caught our eye ever since we read her application and knew she was the one. ..and Im not just writing this because they'll see it but because its true. Each and every single one of them brings something unique to this team. Well thats all! There's much more to learn about me but I'm pretty much an open book so it won't be hard to get to know me!
Overall, Im SO excited for this experience! Go [DR]EAM TEAM!~Danie
Hello Fellow AB members, My name is Maria. I am a Family Science major. I am a junior. I am looking forward to getting to know everyone. I am very enthusiastic and excited for this trip. I always wanted to be a part of community development. Growing up I never really felt what I was like to be a part of a community but know I know and its super great. I have been to the DR before and went through the communities around the resorts that they have and it did surprise me. I felt saddened that in a place that has wonderful waters can be in such a state. But people get by so I don't want to discount that they don't have anything. The name of the trip just really stuck out to me "poverty in paradise" and its mostly true. We as people from other places are deceived in that way. They have a support system and family/friends and its more than some people have. I just want to help in whatever ways I can. This is my second AB trip and I am excited to spread my horizons and focus on different issues in different places. I love arts and crafts. I live on a farm so I love animals. I speak Spanish. I can go all day honestly. I love reading, writing, Japanese animation and manga and bowling.
ReplyDeleteHave an awesome day/night everyone!! GO Team!
My name is Will. I am a Government and Politics major and I am a sophomore. I am from Ridgefield, Connecticut and to put that in perspective, I am about an hour northwest of New York City. I am interested in world affairs and love to travel. I wanted to come on this trip because I knew that I wanted to go abroad to make a difference outside of the United States. All other community services events that I have participated in years prior has been here in the United States because I never got the opportunity to travel to another country and help others in need. I am also interested in being immersed into the culture of the Dominican Republic so that I may gain a new perspective on the world.
ReplyDeleteNow for some information on who I am. My academic interests include international relations policy and theory as well as history. During my free time you can find me talking about or playing sports, hanging out with my friends, or just taking some time off for myself with Netflix to enjoy me. I look forwards to seeing everybody in the new year and I hope yall's breaks are going well.
Will
So I just wrote this very long introduction and it DISAPPEARED! Here we go again.
ReplyDeleteHi all! My name is Bria Mirante and I am a senior Family Science major. I am so excited to go on this AB trip with you. I am a Marylander born and raised, but I love to travel. This AB experience seemed like the perfect opportunity to explore my love for traveling, step outside of my comfort zone, and delve deeper into my passion for community outreach and social justice.
You will learn as we spend more time with each other that I am kind of an open book, so I will just dive right into sharing more about myself right now. My family says that I am 21 going on 50, because I am very much an old soul. I love reading, writing and performing spoken word poetry, practicing yoga, and binge watching Netflix. I was raised for most of my life by a single mother and I am the eldest of three siblings, so I have a fierce, motherly type of personality. You can always count on me to have your back! After graduation I am going to work toward becoming a licensed therapist or clinical social worker. I am that friend that people come to when they need to talk and I am happy to be a shoulder to cry on or a springboard for ideas/thoughts whenever people need that.
I am so looking forward to this experience we are going to share. It is incredible that we have this opportunity to touch the lives of others and be moved forever in return. I hope to learn a lot from all of you, from everyone we meet in the DR, and from everything we do leading up to, during, and after this trip. I hope you are all having a fun break so far and I wish you happy and safe new year! See you in the spring :)
Bria
Hi everyone! My name is Makayla, and I'm a freshman. So far I have to say that I loveee UMD! I've met so many amazing people so far, and I can't wait to get to know you all a little better. Anywho, I'm also a Journalism major (for now), and I plan to minor in Spanish. I've been learning Spanish since the 7th grade and decided to continue in high school. I love learning Spanish because my high school teacher told me to always challenge myself to master the language. I'm also excited to be on this trip to volunteer and learn an entire new culture. I've also never been out of the country, nor have I been on a plane (I'M SO SCARED). I can't wait for this new experience with you all, I hope you're excited as well! :)
ReplyDeleteOh, fun facts: My favorite color is purple, I can't swim, I'm from Baltimore and I enjoy reading in my leisure time.
-Makayla J.
Heyyyy [DR]EAM TEAM!! My name is Ariana and I'm a freshman, Cell Biology and Genetics major. I'm also pre-med and love this school so far. I can't wait for our trip and look forward to getting to know everybody and learning about the culture. A little about me, I only know Spanish at the beginner level from taking classes in high school. I have been out of the country to Honduras on a similar humanitarian trip as well. I'm from Maryland about 20 minutes from campus in Silver Spring, I like to play basketball and volleyball even though I'm not very good, and I love fashion and music. I know I'm going to say this a billion times before the trip but I am super excited for everything and can't wait to volunteer in the Dominican Republic! I hope everyone has a great rest of their Winter vacation :)
ReplyDeleteHi everyone! My name is Jess, and I'm a sophomore Kinesiology major. Right now I want to become a PT or OT, but I'm also interested in other careers in the health field. I love running and playing sports, as well as playing the piano, swing dancing, and reading a good book! My faith is a big part of my life, and I'm active at UMD's Catholic Student Center, where I am chair of the service committee! I was born and raised in Maryland, about a half hour away from UMD in Bowie.
ReplyDeleteMy heart is in service work and mission trips- I love volunteering! I've gone on several Habitat for Humanity service trips and I love meeting those families in need and helping to build them a home! Last year I also went on the ASB trip to South Carolina and I had an amazing experience! So, I decided to take another step outside of my comfort zone and volunteer in a different country, and now I'm beyond excited to be a part of this [DR]EAM team and serve others in the Dominican Republic! I'm looking forward to encountering a new culture and making new friends while helping the community. I think this will be an incredible experience and I can't want to volunteer!
Hi everybody! My name is Kendra Pryor, I was born in Washington D.C. and raised in Bowie, MD(PG County). I'm a freshman Anthropology major at UMD, and I love it so far! People always ask what I'm going to do with Anthropology. Well, I may be a researcher of exotic cultures or of American culture, a college professor, or work for non-profit organizations. I'm also in the Honor Humanities program, because I love to learn about literature, languages, and the arts! I play the clarinet and saxophone, and the best experience of my life so far was probably when I got to play my clarinet at Carnegie Hall last year. I also love yoga, zumba, community service, travelling, and learning Spanish. That's one reason I wanted to join Alternative Breaks, because it combines many things I love to do! I'm excited to get to know everyone better and to have an awesome, life changing experience!
ReplyDelete☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼
ReplyDeleteHello DReam Team!
My name is Iliana Hernandez, some people call me ili! I was born in California but barely lived there as we moved to Maryland. I was raised in Germantown, MD, where I lived for pretty much my whole life until the end of senior year in high school, where my family moved to Damascus, MD- aka the middle of nowhere, but I love it. I have chickens in my backyard and a pet rabbit named Ruby. I am a fluent Spanish speaker, my parents are both from El Salvador. I am currently a junior majoring in Family Science, minoring in Technology Entrepreneurship. I love photography, anything in the outdoors, baking, eating, yoga (so excited to see that others in the dream team also love yoga!), meeting new people, exploring, crafting, and pretty much anything that consists of having a great time hehehe. I love community service work and often one can find me volunteering at local homeless shelters. I love to give back to the community, making others happy is what makes me happy. I am so excited to reach out to others in the DR, I am so excited to touch the lives of people in the DR communities and to gain new experiences while doing so. I can't wait to get to know each of you all better!
Go #DReamTeam!
-Iliana
☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼ • ☼
Hello all,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Oluwaseyi Ogundana. Nickname is Seyi (pronounced Shae-yih). I am on the pre-med track as a Neurobiology and Physiology sophomore student. I was born in Nigeria, but I have lived in Baltimore for a while now. I am looking forward to this trip because i am ready to help people however way i can. I strongly believe that no action is too small to make this world more palatable for many to live in. I am excited to meet/work with all of you.
Literally so sad, my original post disappeared when I tried to post it.. =/
ReplyDeleteSooo anyways, HI GUYS!
I know I'm super late, buuuut my name is Brianna. I have lived in Maryland my whole life. I never even thought of coming to UMD until literally the last minute. I am so glad I made the decision to come because I have had so many experiences that I know I would not have had at any other school. I am a Junior Community Health major on a pre-med track. My goal is to (one day) become an orthopedic surgeon.
I am excited for our trip for many reasons. I am most excited about being able to better a community outside of our country, which is something I have never done. I am also excited to learn about another culture, outside of a textbook. I love love love meeting new people sooooo I cannot wait to get to know all of you!! =)
Hello everyone, my name is Yari. Much like Brianna, I have also lived in Maryland my whole life, and I'm a sophomore here at UMD. I'm undecided, but time is ticking on when I have to finalize my major, and I'm thinking Communications. I like working with people, and I'm impartial to, or *gasp* even enjoy public speaking at times. The major seems broad and like something I just may be decent at, so...hopefully it is haha. I enjoy playing video games, soccer, and hanging out with friends in my free time, but I enjoy acting as well. I've actually acted in a few short films made for the Maryland Filmmaker's Club here at UMD, so that's always fun. I like to laugh (you can probably tell by all the "haha's"......haha) and I like to make people laugh, so it's always a pleasure meeting new people. Of course, I'm excited about the trip as well as it's not every day you get to experience a culture different from your own. It's also interesting being in an environment where I can potentially practice my Spanish. Looking forward to meeting all of you!
ReplyDeleteHey guys!
ReplyDeleteSo my name is Mikhaila, you can call me Mikha. I am a junior majoring in Accounting and Finance, my long term goal is to become a consultant. I am originally from California (the "valley" if anyone has ever heard of it), but I moved to Columbia, Maryland about 6 years ago. I never saw myself as the volunteering abroad type. I always thought, oh good for them. But I never thought that I would ever be one to go to a different country and help others. That was until I met one of our trip leaders, Danie. She inspired me to volunteer in Honduras, where I helped build a middle school for the village of La Democracia. It was an awesome experience! And once I started volunteering, it became almost addicting and I couldn't wait for my next chance to volunteer abroad again! I'm especially excited for this trip because I like how we as a group (Dream Team) can decide what we want to do for the community we are helping out. We can observe problems in the area that could use some help, and then as a team we can come up with ways to fix those problems. I'm so excited to work with all of you in assisting the community we will work in!