With the 2015 Dominican Republic Trip approaching, we decided to sit down with Caitlyn Donohue, a member of the team and a student of St. Joes, to find out what they have been doing to prepare and how the trip impacts the volunteers lives.

Q: We heard you were on a retreat a couple weeks ago, how was that experience? What did you like most about the retreat?

A: It was good! I liked how close it brought our team and how it built stronger relationships with all of our teammates.

Q: When did you decide you wanted to be a part of the team?

A: Throughout elementary school when they came in for presentations. These presentations interested me and made me want to go on this trip.

Q: Do you enjoy being a part of this team? If so, why?

A: Yes because you are building friendships with new people and I like the feeling of being a part of something important.

Q: What excites you most about the trip?

A: The overall experience.

Q: What did you have to go through to be able to join the team?

A: We had to write an essay on ourselves, including what clubs we were a part of at school, our interests, etc. We also have to take Spanish classes so we are able to speak with them.

Q: How close are you with your fellow teammates?

A: I am a lot closer than I was when I first started. It kind of feels like family now.

Q: How do you think this trip is going to impact your own life?

A: I think I will grow as a person and it makes me realize that I have a lot to be thankful for and I should not take anything for granted.

Q: Would you recommend this trip to the younger students in the school?

A: I haven’t been on the trip yet, but I would recommend going and attending the retreat because I feel like I have grown as a person already and we haven’t even went yet.

Q: Is there anything you would want to change about this experience?

A: No I wouldn’t want to change anything about this experience. I think it is organized perfectly and planned very carefully.

As you can see, Caitlyn is learning a lot from this experience. She is excited to go on the trip and getting the opportunity to help others in need. We look forward to hearing from her in the future.