Reflection at All-School Meeting

On Friday, December 4, 2025, several members of the 2025 DRST shared reflections on our time in La Romana at All-School Meeting.

DRST 2025 - Day 7 - Batey 50 & Med Clinic

 Heyyyyy Wat,

Thursday's post is from Caleb G.

Today was an amazing last day! 

I started the day at 6:00 where Mrs. French, Mr. Gemme, Daniel, Julia and myself finished the last food packing of the trip. We had our last wonderful breakfast provided by Tata and her team before going and taking our group photo of the trip. At 8:30 we then departed for Batey 50.

(My father pictured eating)                                               (Autumn-rae W. '25 sleeping)

Once at Batey 50, we visited the school, handing out toys and ice pops before going door to door to pass out the remaining ice pops. Once the work began in ernest Julia S. '25 immediately took charge of the cement mixer for which she not only has a great affinity, but also a great proficiency.

(Julia demonstrating great proficiency)

Through Julia's "need" to use the cement wheel and a collective effort of bringing the cement in wheelbarrows we eventually finished our main objective by the end of the work day...completing the foundation to the home of the local health promoter (the woman who reports to the hospital as to the needs of Batey 50).

(Autumn surveying the situation like a hawk surveys the prairie)

The work of moving all the cement, while long, was rewarding as in the end the finished foundation demonstrated out team's foundational strengths — hard work and dedication — and it will also serve a real purpose as the foundation for this woman's home.

(A part of the laid foundation) 

(Mr. Breault... toiling)

In the end, more than any real work we did, we made friends, we laughed, maybe just Caroline cried but that's because she can do it on command and its pretty impressive.. 

After a final trip to the beach, we did our end-of-trip paper plate awards where I was awarded the Best Natural Curls award by Amanda K. who I awarded the Queen moniker for she, despite her last name, is a queen.

The end.

(My father not pictured)

¡Hola a todos! It’s Amanda K. writing today’s blog for the medical team! We started off the day with our last of Tata’s delicious breakfasts, followed by a team picture at 8am on the roof of the dorm building (we walked up lots of stairs). 

Then we headed off to med clinic for the last time! Today we were located at a beautiful church, and there were so many people waiting to be treated. I was working blood pressure, which is by far my favorite position on the med team. I find it so fun sitting face to face with so many different people and having conversations with them. 

We handed out so many stickers, bubbles, toys, and dolls to all of the children; they were rejoiced. After a few hours of hard work, we were rewarded with a delicious lunch made by Tata, which consisted of rice and beans, beef, sandwiches, and soda. She slayed yet again! We ate later than usual today, because there were so many people. 

Right after lunch, we packed up the bus, bid farewell to the children, and headed back to Casa Pastorale. 

Per usual, the construction team was running fashionably late, so the med team got a few extra minutes of downtime (and dance time)! 

When the construction team finally got back, we all changed into our swimsuits and headed to the beach for the second time this week! This was an extra fun beach trip because our favorite new friends, Witgi, Derick, and Café came with us, and we visited some of the souvenir shops.

After seeing our third rainbow of the trip at the beach, we then headed back to the dorms to shower and enjoy our last homemade dinner by Tata. We had pork chops and french fries…so yummy!

Today’s cake of the day was… Apple and Caramel!

After dinner we all presented our “Paper Plate Awards.” At the beginning of the trip, everyone on the team drew one name from a cup, and that name was who we had to create an award for on a paper plate. I got Caleb G., my fellow blogger today on the construction team. He has the best curls (with little to no curl routine), so it was fitting for his award to be “Best Natural Curls”. This awarding ceremony was very emotional; everyone shared one thing that had an immense impact on them, and the awards for everyone were so thoughtful and sentimental.

Then, we bid farewell to our beloved Café, and all got ready to leave by packing our bags and tidying our rooms. It’s going to be a long next 24 hours, but we’re all leaving here knowing the impact we’ve made. This has truly been a one of a kind experience for me; I’ve learned so much about myself, my friends, and a whole other country. Although our experiences and living conditions might be different, there’s one thing we all have in common: our hearts. ¡Te amo, La Republica Dominicana!

DRST - Day 6 - Batey 50 & Med-Clinic

Hi everyone, it’s Caroline K. for today’s Med Clinic blog! Today for me was one of the absolute best days we’ve had so far. Coming close to the end of the trip means hard-work but lots and lots of fun. This was one of the nicest and well kept bateys we’ve been to and the people were so grateful and kind. While I was occupied with pharmacy for our time at the Med Clinic, my team's effort and passion for what we were doing did not go noticed. 

The air was hot and full of bugs but that did not stop us from giving our all to patients that rely on our services. Working in the Pharmacy for the first time was pretty scary at first as it was my first time, but as the day progressed I felt more and more comfortable in the space. We treated over 100 patients today out at the Med Clinic and I can speak for my team when i say it’s a Batey we won’t forget! 

After our long hardworking day, our construction team and med team came together for our annual Thanksgiving Dinner. Though it is most definitely not Thanksgiving yet, we venture to a resort nearby called Casa De Campo and spend our night swimming in a pool and eating delicious food. 

DRST 2025 - Day 5 - Batey 50 & Med Clinic

Hi everyone, it's Caroline G. We began today at 7, when we (most of us) woke up, migrated downstairs, and has a delicious breakfast of french toast, fruit, bacon, and sausages. 

After we finished, the work began. We carried the MannaPacks (which is the food we distribute on the bateyes) to the med team bus which arrived first, as well as all of the meds that will be distributed today. We then packed the construction bus with MannaPacks as well, and then we were off to Batey 50!

 

A “short”—and immensely hot—pitstop was taken to buy a new wheelbarrow for our work today, which substantially improved our operations today.

 

After arriving to Batey 50, we split into two teams, one shoveling rocks to become concrete and the other to finish digging the trench. 

“I thought we were going to finish digging the trench, but then realized we were already in the trench. The Trenches.” —Caleb G.

I was on the digging team, but after finishing, we all joined the concrete team as they began mixing the concrete, by hand, to pour in the trench for the new house foundation.

It was very hot, so we traded off frequently to take water breaks or to play with some nearby children. 

Excitingly, it was also Elizabeth’s 13th birthday today, so we all sang to her and Hayden brought some gifts. Elizabeth is a girl on Batey 50 who I met last year, but the team has been involved in her life since birth, so it was very special to be able to celebrate her birthday with her both this year and last.

 

After finishing all of the concrete, we took a late lunch of rice, meat, sandwiches, and cookies and then headed to Batey 30 to do some food distribution. There were also some very cute kids on this batey who followed our two teams around as we walked.

We headed back to the compound, which luckily took much less time than our earlier voyage. After unpacking, showering, getting dressed, and having some rest back in the dorms, we got back on the bus with the med crew to have dinner at the Good Samaritan Hospital. The hospital is gorgeous—much nicer and more modern than any hospital I’ve been in. Dinner was vegetables, potato salad, chicken, plantains, and bread. Cake(s(!)) of the day were carrot, oreo, and vanilla(?), among others.

 

After refueling and engaging in some scintillating conversation, we heard from Moises—surprisingly not about how he parted the Red Sea—about how his upbringing and life on a batey shaped the man he is today; Moises is the coordinator of the Good Samaritan Hospital, and his story stands as a testament to the importance of treating and loving other human beings. He’s probably one of the busiest men alive, so we were very honored that he carved out time to talk to us. Most of us spent the bus ride back to the compound reflecting on what we had heard. It was late, and most of us were tired, so we packed food kits quickly and did work signups for tomorrow before the majority headed up to the dorms for a deserved rest, before getting up bright and early for another full day tomorrow.

DRST 2025 - Day 4 - Batey 50 and Med Clinic

Buenas noches desde la Republica Dominicana!

Today was an eventful and fantastical day! We started our morning off eating breakfast---oatmeal, bacon, fruits, and bread---and drinking our daily cup of Sqwincher's (electrolytes). 

Hey, it's Ja Seng Ra here!

After a couple of us finished eating, we quickly loaded 30 MannaPacks onto a truck for the med clinic. Leading up to our long day, the med team drove about an hour and a half away from Casa Pastoral, which was a snug space to fit the bus through. My assignment for the day was to hand out "bug juice," an anti-parasitic medication, to the kids and the adults. However, we finished in about an hour since many of the kids were at school.

I ended up spending the rest of the time with the kids---handing out stickers and toys---and helping out in other stations when they needed it. We saw about 130 patients today, so we all took different lunch times to account for all of the patients. By the end of the work day, we were all exhausted and took the bus ride home as a napping session before our delightful afternoon at the beach.

Hey everyone! Julia, here :)

As I come back to the DR for my second year (as an alumna, now), all I can say is that I couldn't be happier to be a part of this amazing team of hard working, passionate, and kind-hearted individuals again. For those who may not know me, last year I was very construction involved, so it's no surprise I've spent the past two work days at Batey 50, or as I recently learned, goes by its second name Batey Esperanza, which translates to the Batey Hope. Being here for two years, now, I can see why that is---the people we work with are full of this exuberant energy and hospitality that is unique and, honestly, quite beautiful. They are the reason I came back.

As for what we did today, I dug a trench. The construction team today split into two groups; one repainted the communal pavilion, and the other dug a moat around a house to prepare for cement to be poured into the new space. (That's tomorrows work, YAY!) I was in the latter group, and while it was a hot and hefty day, by the time I saw the pavilion at the end of the day, it was practically unrecognizable! 

As for the digging, we broke through rocks and cement, cut through roots, and shoveled until we were able to dig around the entire house!

After the work day at Batey 50, the construction team had lunch and went right back to work, distributing food packs at another local Batey, known as Agua Blanca, which is translated to White Water. We're not really sure why it's called that, but it was my first time at this Batey, and every experience here is a grand one!

As I'm sure you've all been waiting for...the Cake of the Day was...really good!! We're not entirley sure what exactly it was, but we ate it nevertheless. And lastly, as Ja Seng Ra mentioned earlier, we ended our day at the beautiful beach! Stay tuned for more!

DRST 2025 - Day 3 - Workday Preparation & Joe Hartman School!

 
Buenos dias from Talia H. and Autumn W.!

We started the day off with Tata's amazing breakfast  of french toast, sausage, bacon, and fruit! Then quickly moved into preparation for the weeks med clinics and construction work. Specifically, sorting an array of medication, shoes, toys, and hygiene products until lunch at 12! 

After lunch, we had some free time before getting all packed and ready for our visit to Joe Hartman School in Kilometer Six, a very poor barrio of La Romana. Once we arrived, the kids greeted us with warm smiles and hugs, making us feel so welcomed!

Below we will share both of our reflections from the day!

Talia:

I learned many new dances moves, and despite not understanding the music I had a great time. After dancing with the kids, I moved into the courtyard to play basketball with William H., Mr. Bro, and 5 other boys. We had a great time and were all exhausted by the end of our game. But then, we decided to switch up the teams and play 2 more games. After finishing, we began playing a game of whiffle ball and one of the boys hit a game winning home run! To wrap up our day the kids enjoyed some cotton candy, stickers, bubbles, and more music. Overall, it was such a great experience playing with the kids today, it made me feel like I was a kid again! I cannot wait for the week ahead and really enjoyed the day at Joe Hartman School!

Autumn: 

Upon arrival at the Joe Hartman School, we began gathering the  games and toys we sorted earlier in the day! The kids came up to us eager to play with the assortment of stickers, bubbles, soccer balls, balloons, etc! I specifically met three little girls: two three year olds and one two year old girl who made my experience today so special. One of the three-year-old girls and her two-year-old sister came up to us repeatedly dancing, playing games or picking out more stickers from our ever-growing collection! While most of the group was handing out food for the kids the two year old girls mother came up to me and asked if I could get her daughter a plate of food. I happily agreed, and fed the little girl the delicious food being served by our team! I felt so honored that this mother felt comfortable enough for me to go off with her child and help her eat! After this experience the girls and I swung on the swings for a bit and played some games before wrapping up the day with some cotton candy! The second three year old girl came up to me later on while I was blowing bubbles for the other two girls. I asked for her name and age and after she replied she asked for mine. When I told her my age she made a shocked face and started to laugh. She continued to come up to us blowing bubbles and hitting us with her balloon sword! Using the lollipop in her mouth she would make lipstick and go around to each of us asking how it looked (and of course we said amazing!). I am so grateful for the experiences I had today at Joe Hartman and cannot wait to experience more special moments like these throughout the trip!

 

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We finished off the day with dinner, cakes, and a quick trip to Jumbo!

Cake(s) of the day (plus Mrs.French!) :

Adios Amigos, Hasta Manana! :)