!Hola! Dominicana Republica, Spelman goes Abroad.- Community Lesson

I went to Santiago, Dominican Republic, with the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) Program. This program took fourteen girls from Spelman for a two-week intercultural study abroad program. We took Spanish and a culture class. I was trying to obtain a study abroad experience before I graduated from college. The most rewarding aspect of this trip was learning more about myself, empathy for others, and immersing myself in other cultures, which ultimately helped me become less judgemental. The primary task was to immerse myself in the Culture. As students at Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra, we learned Spanish and Dominican Culture. I spoke Spanish and lived with my host family, who did not speak English well at all. I spent my time in class or on trips. In our free time, we went out in the city, going to the mall, and talking to locals.

I was open-minded and accepting of anything. I say this because I did not want to perceive anything that did not physically harm me in a negative light, so I was open-minded and optimistic about the whole trip. For instance, the utility bill and water bill in the DR are super expensive. The houses also did not have AC. Thus we had to sleep in mosquito nets so we would not get a bit in our sleep. We also had to take showers at a particular time because our host mothers would have to turn the water on. Lastly, we had to unplug everything before we left the house, not to use excess energy. Some nights we had to take bucket baths because the water was not working. A problematic challenge was colorism. In the DR, especially in Santiago, they see identify as caucasion. So as a group of African Americans, the natives viewed us differently. We handled it by taking the high road and not allowing it to affect us as much. We also had open dialogue in class and learned in history why this was the way it was.

Overall, I care about perspectives more and empathize with others. All the time now. I am not quick to judge, but I ask genuine questions to understand things more in-depth. It's relevant to see the 'big picture' because it is a lesson in everything, and the synergies between all the experiences will give you the most significant take away that was set in place for us. DR is beautiful with a rich history.

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