Over spring break, several Trinity students traveled to Dominica, an island in the Caribbean, to volunteer with organizations that helped disadvantaged children.
Students enjoyed working with intellectually and developmentally challenged children on the island.
“My favorite part was definitely working with the kids,” said senior Jenni White. “It’s pretty amazing to be so many miles away in a foreign country with individuals from an entirely different culture and realizing you have more in common than you thought.”
The Trinity students also got to explore the island.
“One of my favorite sights was called Titou Gorge, where they filmed parts of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean,’” White said. “It’s always awesome to see sights like that. I enjoyed snorkeling in the Caribbean, too. One day we went to the southernmost tip of the island. We had the Caribbean on our left and the Atlantic on our right. It was fantastic.”
The student volunteers felt that the trip was an enriching experience in many different ways and contained a balance of work and play.
“I absolutely adored working with the kids,and going to places like Titou Gorge was amazing. Everything was so beautiful,” said senior Rachel Laven. “It was a great balance of work and fun. I think what scares students sometimes is the work, but we got to enrich these kids’ lives and enjoy this beautiful island.”
Not only did the students build relationships with the people of Dominica, but they also grew closer as Trinity peers.
“The team I was on was such an incredible group. We really worked together and built on our strengths,” Laven said.
White agreed with Laven.
“I learned to collaborate with people I didn’t know, and I grew from that,” White said.
Some of the students who participated in the alternative spring break trip also did projects about social issues facing Dominica. These projects were presented yesterday in the Northrup lobby.
