Dear students,
The Lodge does not feel the same without y’all! It was a pleasure getting to know each of you
over the course of 21 days. Each of you have left an indelible impact with staff and community
members alike. You were my first group leading as a program director and I can say you made
my job much easier. Your commitment to the program and genuine desire to learn and soak in
the culture is one that will be extremely difficult to surpass.
From day one we hit the ground running, working in the hot sun. The community center has
since been finished, plantain and banana trees since blossomed, and Alejandro and his family
have moved into their new home with a functioning bathroom. With more groups like yours we
will continue to implement effective and sustainable projects to address issues related to
human security in the DR and abroad. Not only did we hit our meet our project goals, we
exceeded them with ease and had some fun while doing so! We also faced our fears head on.
From cockroaches and big spiders around the lodge to clinic visits and falling out of boats while
whitewater rafting, you were not phased. You made this summer one that I will never forget! I
might even get over my fear of heights one day…
I wish for you the ability to take what you learned and apply it at home. You are the leaders of
tomorrow. Be the change. Continue developing your skills and lead us into a brighter future.
The unfortunate reality of this world is that millions of people around the world lack access to
basic needs to survive. You saw that firsthand. From this point on you are responsible for
internalizing what you learned, what you experienced, and what you lived for 21 days to
address these issues head on. The only failure is inaction.
I’ve had some time to look over our blog posts and pictures from the summer. I always knew
y’all would have a big fan base someday but seeing the comments on your posts was amazing!
It may be corny for me to drop a quote here, but hey, you know me for corny dad jokes. I
searched the innerwebs to figure how who said this but I couldn’t find it. Regardless, it’s this, “I
always knew looking back on the tears would make me laugh, but I never knew looking back on
the laughs would make me cry.” This is so true. We shared an amazing experience and I
personally had so much fun getting to know y’all this summer!
If you only take one thing away from me personally this summer I hope it’s this: HYDRATE! 🙂
Signing off,
Patrick
PS: I’ve finally been able to start reading again. I’m currently reading a book about anti-gravity.
It’s impossible to put down!
PSS: What do you call a fish with two knees? A “two-knee” fish!
Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our 2019 programs, or enroll now.
