Meet the Cohort: CED 24–01
This group may be small, but they are full of fun!
Salvador Perez
Hometown: Arlington, VA (10 min away from DC)
Star sign: Pisces
Site province: Maria Trinidad Sanchez
What you will accomplish in two years: I’ll build deep connections with various groups in the community and hopefully have many new “habilidades” like spearfishing, hitting dingers on the regular, and maintaining order in a classroom full of 30+ Liceo kids
Weirdest thing packed: 10 in 1 pen with a flashlight and a bunch of little tools
Funniest experience: In my second week I had to utter the phrase “los huevos se quedan en los pantalones” to a student who was intending to get a “piercing” via stapler — Shock doesn’t begin to describe how I felt in the moment. I still laugh every time I think about it
Love life prognosis for the next two years: Only giving my love to a beautiful, high quality, and caring woman
Disease most afraid of contracting: Ciguatera
What do you have to say about plato del día: Mejor no decir nada
#1 item on your PCDR bucket list: Swim like a fish and surf like a brah
What do you miss from home: My family, my dog, my friends, food with any sort of spice
Biggest fear of service: Becoming overwhelmed and involved in too many initiatives or feeling useless because it is difficult to find work
Why are you serving: To gain real world experience working with local counterparts in small scale community economic development activities
Advice to a new trainee: Be intentional about living in the moment. During training you are busy with technical training, language class, and community activities. You are adjusting to life in a new country while facing uncertainty about your site placement. Staying present and in the moment can help reduce the overwhelmingness of all the uncertainty and help you enjoy the ride that is Peace Corps day by day.
Nathan Epstein
Hometown: Plano Texas
Star sign: Virgo
Site province: Maria Trinidad Sanchez
What you will accomplish in two years: I will remind people of their positive attributes and possible opportunities for a better life. I will influence at least one student and one business owner to implement more effective ways to manage and think about money.
I will become much better at Spanish, more confident in myself, and a healthier person.
(I’m hoping to start/join a basketball team soon).
Weirdest thing packed: a Psyduck that I put on my important key chains
Funniest experience: A real Dominican dembow circle. A lot of contact in a lot of beats
Love life prognosis for the next two years: idk brodie
Disease most afraid of contracting: Anything really bad
What do you have to say about plato del día: Like at cafeterias? Idk how but they beat expectations every time.
#1 item on your PCDR bucket list: Participate in a boxing match or a real basketball game with a big crowd or run the marathon.
What do you miss from home: My parents and my mom’s cooking
Biggest fear of service: Thinking it wasn’t worth it
Why are you serving:
- Continue pursuing a love for living abroad, meeting different people, and challenging fears
- Finally making a good impact on the world instead of just talking about it
- Didn’t want to work in excel and ppt anymore
Advice to a new trainee: Try to set out for one small win a day. Momentum is a real thing, and completing something small can help work towards bigger wins (i.e. just remembering someone’s name or saying hi to someone new can pay huge dividends).
**Also read Briley’s fishing article**
Calley Lwin
Hometown: Falls Church, VA
Star sign: Aquarius
Site province: Nagua
What you will accomplish in two years: make friends within my community, start a run club, inspire my students (at least one), become fluent in (Dominican) Spanish
Weirdest thing packed: Jalapeño beef chomps
Funniest experience: My first cucaracha living with my host family during training. We were just 3 women living in the house and no one wanted to kill it. My host mom was screaming while my host sister and I were cracking up. Good bonding experience.
Love life prognosis for the next two years: Si Dios Quiere
Disease most afraid of contracting: definitely dengue
What do you have to say about plato del día: yum
#1 item on your PCDR bucket list: see the whales in Samaná!
What do you miss from home: my dog, my friends and family, bagels, hot showers, not having to change 3 times a day.
Biggest fear of service: the long term effects of not eating enough vegetables and protein will have on my body
Why are you serving: I want to work in the international development sector, figured this was a good place to start.
Advice to a new trainee: invest in noise canceling headphones. Have fun, take it one day at a time.
Sofia Sanborn Franco
Hometown: London
Star sign: Libra
Site province: Nagua
What you will accomplish in two years: For students, give them the tools to open a business as backup to further their lives. For business owners, help them see the importance of SME’s in the world economy and why/how to increase productivity and efficiency. Personally, more self advocacy, less overthinking.
Weirdest thing packed: Acupressure mat.
Funniest experience: On a school hiking trip, a teacher explained that a specific leaf could be used as toilet paper. I was pleased that I had found an alternative so I grabbed a leaf, turns out she was joking and all the students became concerned for the Gringas survival instinct, or lack thereof.
Love life prognosis for the next two years: Deguabiná
Disease most afraid of contracting: Scabies
What do you have to say about plato del día: Que ricoo
#1 item on your PCDR bucket list: It changes every day, but I’d say go from intermediate to independent kitesurfer in Las Terrenas or Cabarete.
What do you miss from home: My mom, my sis.
Biggest fear of service: Missing out on family things
Why are you serving: Pivoting my life choices away from Finance and into Development.
Advice to a new trainee: Take it easy, I don’t think anyone really knows what they’re doing.
