An Internship Full of Surprises

Now it’s my turn! I’m a graduate student at the UT, and I spent my summer interning with Makarios – what a treat! My days were filled with research, writing, and networking, and I enjoyed it all. Before becoming a grad student, I spent almost a year teaching in a batey near Santo Domingo (along the DR’s south coast), and it was so great to join Makarios and be surrounded by Dominicans and Haitians again.

At the very beginning of the summer, I accompanied Sharla on the Makarios June trip to the DR. Sharla and I spent just over a week together on the north coast, and I got to meet Brian and visit several of the bateyes where our initial projects will begin. Although I had spent lots of time in bateyes before the June trip, I’m always amazed by batey life. Bateyes are such a fascinating mix of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and while batey residents often lack sufficient access to important resources – electricity, water, education – they are fighting to improve their lives. The bateyes are a fabulous display of survival and determination. I especially love the time we spend with the kids during our visits. They never stop surprising me. For example, Victoria, a teenager in one of the bateyes, will make a terrific teacher one day. As we entered her batey with a missions team, Victoria lined the little children up and led them in several songs. And even better – the little ones listened when she asked them to sit silently for a story. Hopefully, Makarios will be able to take advantage of Victoria’s kindness and her leadership skills as we begin to work with the children in the batey. Victoria is just one example of the little treasures that Makarios while working in the bateyes. Each batey is full of its own surprises, and I know Sharla, Brian, and everyone who travels to the DR with Makarios will have a great adventure exploring them all!

While the June trip was certainly a highlight of the summer, my time in Austin was productive as well. Post-trip internship activities included investigation into the educational needs of Jimani and the surrounding towns, the creation of a brochure and Web site material, and research on the tensions that exist between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. All in all, the summer was a great introduction to the world of nonprofits, and I learned many fantastic things. Even better – it was fun!