Happy Birthday Cassidy!

Today I was able to celebrate my 18th birthday with all of the counselors and campers. When the campers first arrived, they sang me happy birthday in Spanish. While we were at dinner, everyone sing me happy birthday and the waiters brought out a cheesecake for me! There’s no place I’d rather spend my 18th birthday! They made me feel so special and I’m soaking up every moment being with them.

Cassidy Larochelle, New Kent Co.

 

Thursday - First Day of 4-H Day Camp

Going into today, I had a preconceived idea of what the day would bring; however, I was wrong in what I thought, but in all the right ways. While we started with language barriers and struggles with understanding, everyone worked together to communicate to the best of our abilities, whether that be through Google Translate, Spanish class backgrounds, or social media. Every kid had their own individual personality, and when you sat back and watched, you could see how much the Dominican campers resemble average American teenagers.

Having the opportunity to utilize my three years of Spanish classes, I was able to pick up the basic words in every sentence to work hard to answer and ask follow-up questions. One camper was able to use my TikTok to show me videos of Mr. Beast and even videos of his tia and mama. I never knew TikTok would have been such a simple but deep way I could connect with multiple campers. In the end, every teenager is able to recognize TikTok audios and dances.

Overall, while my day wasn't what I previously imagined, I wouldn’t change what I experienced today for anything else!

-Leah Johnson, Roanoke Co.

Thursday started off with a delicious breakfast at the Westin and then we headed to the Foundation for our first day of day camp! When we arrived, we organized things for camp and before we knew it the campers were arriving. We started day camp with crafts and tours of the ecological center (honey bees, worm cultivation and nursery tours), followed by an amazing Dominican lunch. After lunch we did more crafts, made a healthy snack, and did another tour of the Foundation (Ridgeway Hawks and native trees).  After that, it was time for the campers to head home. The counselors wrapped up their day by the pool followed by dinner at the Westin. I can’t wait for day camp tomorrow!

-Cassidy Larochelle, New Kent Co.

 

Wednesday - Team Building Day

Today, we prepared for our day camp, while also getting the chance to meet the Dominican teens. Getting to work with them already had me excited to get to spend time with them for the rest of the week. I love how we were all able to properly work together and bond in the few hours we had.

 After prepping for day camp, and sorting our donated school supplies, all of the teens went to the Ojos Indigenas (fresh water lagoons that feed into the ocean). It was a very fun and rewarding experience. I got the chance to work on my swimming skills, while also making memories with my fellow Virginia and Dominican teens.

Cole Morgan, Wise Co.

When I signed up for this trip on such short notice I wasn't sure what I was getting into, but already, I've learned so much. 

This morning, I woke up drowsy after the exhausting day before, but I got up and went to go eat breakfast. At home, I make a killer bacon egg and cheese sandwich so I wanted to try the one here. I'm really harsh on bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches, so it means a lot when I say that it was actually pretty decent. 

Afterwards, we took a van to the Ecological Foundation. We'd been there before, but very briefly. It's really nice there. The breeze was really refreshing and the building was very easy to get used to and was great as a place to meet new people. We met the other teens there, the ones from the Dominican Republic. I had thought before, wondering what they were going to be like and we had met one of the teens, her name was Leanna, but all of them both met and reached what I had expected. They were all super nice and reminded me of my friends and people I knew back at school and home.

We then went outside to learn names and meet each other. We went in a circle and said what our names were, why we started 4-H, and what are favorite animal was. I remember a good majority of the teens' and the adults' (both American and Dominican) reason that they joined was either that they had been doing it since they were a camper or their friend wanted them to do it. I thought that was so funny, because anyone you ask back in Virginia, that's probably going to be what their answer is.

While we were there, we also organized the school supplies that we had brought to donate to the schools here, we painted the picture frames that our group photo is going to go in later, and we tie-dyed our shirts. We also played a few games all together. One of the games we played, had a sort of ball with feathers attached. You hit it with either your hands or feet and try to keep it up in the air. During that, all of us talked together, just about what things are like around here or casual conversation. It was cool to talk to everybody because it's interesting to see just how similar we all are, whether its school or sports or family, but also what makes our cultures unique. 

We then ate a Dominican lunch, and got ready to walk to the "Ojos Indigenas" or the "Indigenous Eyes". We walked there for about 5-10 minutes. It's a part of the Ecological Foundation, so it was close by. Walking there, I chatted it up with some of the other teens. One of them, that I mentioned earlier, is interning with the Foundation and she talked about how she had gotten into birding and said that she saw this very sought after bird in the birding community called The Barrancoli (The Broad-billed Tody. She was so hyped to tell me and she had already told some of her Dominican friends. It really impressed me to meet someone so excited for what she did, because you don't see a ton of people express that back at home.

When we got to The Eyes we got ready to get in. It's this beautiful fresh body of water surrounded by trees and rocks. You could either walk in by the steps or jump in of a short ledge off to the side. Obviously, me and some of my friends decided to jump in together. A few people went in front of me, then I ran and jumped in. OH MY LORD! It was so cool! It felt so much better than just a pool. Me and my friends swam around and sat on the roots and rocks. Again, I was chatting it up with the other teens! I think all of the teens from the U.S. also really enjoyed meeting and being friends with the teens here. They're so much like us I feel or at least people I know, but just not from where we are.

Anyways, a couple hours and a few more jumps later, we were walking back to the foundation. A thing that both me and Cristy, who was listening from behind us, was on our way back when my friend, Manuela, was talking about how her sister accidentally cut herself on a plate and then it was brought up how if you accidentally hurt yourself your mom would be like "Oh! Why are you so clumsy? How could you do that to yourself?", but then if your mom accidentally hurts herself it would be like "Oh!! How could this happen to me?! I have been so hurt! I am completely absolved of all blame!". Manuela then was then like "Oh my god! My mom is exactly like that! That's so funny!". It was a small thing, but it was really cool to see just how many small or big things we had in common. Anyways, that's been my long blog about our first whole day at the Domincan Republic! 

 Thank you for reading!

-Ian Edwards, Culpeper Co.

Tuesday - Travel Day

Most of us were awake at 4 am to leave for Dulles Airport by 5 am.  We had a full flight and a safe arrival to PuntaCana, Dominican Republic.  

Carol Nansel, Shenandoah Co,

I am writing about our first travel day! The day overall was amazing and extremely eye opening. However, it did start a weee bit early for me.. which would mean 4am. Although, after some food, a few energy drinks, and a gorgeous sunrise, I was ready for the day! When arriving at the airport, it was fairly empty..but.. that didn’t last long. This was my first ever time at an airport, and while I didn’t know what to expect, it was very interesting and even busier than I could have imagined. Oh! And TSA, is most defiantly scary. But, that the end of the day, everything went smoothly. We all landed safely and had a good trip, with very little turbulence thankfully.

Once landed everything was much calmer. We went through the Punta Cana airport and were quickly on the van, and on our way to the hotel. Once we got there we were all stunned; it was beautiful!! The palm trees, pool, and beach looked straight out of a Pinterest photo! Although, most importantly in my opinion, the people were kind and warm. No one welcomes you the way the Dominican Republic does.   

In conclusion, day was phenomenal, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience!!

Emily Sachno, Nelson Co.

 

Monday - Pre-trip meeting and preparations

The 4-H'ers and adults in our group came together near Dulles airport on Monday night from Mecklenburg, Culpeper, Wise, Fluvanna, Roanoke, New Kent, Nelson, Alleghany and Shenandoah Counties.  We did get acquainted activities, had a meal together and repacked our donated items and camp supplies to fit into 12 carry-on bags for the flight.  

We are ready!

Why am I participating in this program?

The Virginia 4-H Participants have a variety of reasons for wanting to participate this year.

Garima Patel, 15, Roanoke Co.

She applied for this program because she really wants to teach kids from other places, get a feel of different cultures and customs, and get to know more people.  

Cole Morgan, 17, Wise Co.

Cole applied for this program after attending a workshop last year that showed him the impact it made on those involved.  He knew he needed to sign up as quickly as possible.  The most important thing he wants to do/see/learn/experience while in the Dominican Republic is the culture.  He has always had such a love for exploring other cultures and learning about how other cultures live and celebrate.

Paisley Goodwin, 17, Mecklenburg Co.

She applied for this program because she had an amazing time last year, the people really do make the program and she can't wait to see the cities and the community again!  She wants to put the language into practice and learn about the kids and other teens.  She can say she's looking forward to teaching and sharing with the kids, but it really ended up being her who learned the most during her trip last year!

Leah Johnson, 15, Roanoke Co.

While Leah is in the Dominican Republic, the most important thing she wants to learn and understand is how day camps build leadership, teamwork, and cultural pride among Dominican youth, because seeing how these camps impact young people will help me grow as a leader and better support youth development back home.  

Ian Edwards, 17, Culpeper Co.

Ian wants to see the world from another perspective because he thinks everyone can learn something from something different.  He also wants to make a difference that is actually impactful.

Cassidy Larochelle, 18, New Kent Co.

Cassidy is going to college to be a nurse and her dream is to work in pediatric oncology.   She's always loved working with kids and during college she wants to go on more mission trips to work as a nurse.  She thought this trip would be the perfect way to begin her journey as a pediatric nurse and to teach her the ropes of mission trips.  Her personal goal is to make strong connections with the children, learn about their culture, and make a difference in someone's life!

Emily Sachno, 15, Nelson Co.

Emily applied for this program because she wants to make a difference in this world.  While she is in the Dominican Republic, the most important thing she wants to do is to stay in the moment and take lots of photos because she wants to create lasting memories.

Christine Hodges, Trip Leader/4-H Agent, Alleghany Co.

Carol Nansel, Trip Leader/4-H Agent, Shenandoah Co.

Carol enjoys traveling, working with teens and learning about cultures.  Her first international trip was as an International 4-H Youth Exchange (IFYE) delegate to West Germany for 6 months right after college.  That was truly a life changing experience.  Now, Carol enjoys facilitating life changing experiences for Virginia 4-H'ers as they grow in leadership and world citizenship and develop lifelong friendships through 4-H.   The Dominican Republic program holds a very special place in Carol's heart.  Our group is welcomed back every year like family..

Kim Mayo, 4-H Agent, Fluvanna Co.

As a 4-H Agent, Kim has incorporated international experiences for those who are unable to travel (virtual, games, speakers, etc.), and worked to help place inbound exchange students in her unit.  She feels the next logical step is to support Virginia 4-H youth as they work to broaden their horizons.  She is excited to learn how day camps and 4-H programs are implemented outside of the US.

Cristy Mosley, 4-H Agent, Culpeper Co.

Cristy was able to attend the trip last year and she says it was a wonderful experience!  She loved working with our 4-H teens as well as the Dominican youth during the trip.  She wants the Dominican children to know that Dominicans and Americans are more alike than you would think.

Rory Nansel, 4-H Volunteer, Shenandoah Co.  

Rory applied because he has been involved in international programs since before he understood what they were and now understands what a profound impact it can have not only on participants, but others whose lives they touch.  He also spent a year as a high school exchange student in Finland and understands much of what the delegates feel and experience and wants to support them through their experiences.  With his wife, Carol, Rory has been involved with this program from its start, and has enjoyed helping with it, even when he hasn't traveled.  

He wants to see that the 4-H'ers are learning and trying new things and not relying on just what they are familiar with, because when one steps out of their comfort zone, they can really learn something, not only about other people and cultures, but about themselves!