The Fall 2001 SST unit in the Dominican Republic is over. But this website will remain available.

Leaders of the fall 2001 SST unit in the Dominican Republic are Galen and Ruth Graber. (Pictured with their daughter, Natalie, age 3.) Galen has worked at Goshen College for 17 years, most recently as Director of Student Financial Aid. Ruth is a registered nurse.

Galen was an SST student in Costa Rica in 1982, and calls the experience "My best semester in college. It was the time in my life when I learned the most about myself and the world around me". Galen grew up in Brazil until the age of 16 where his parents were missionaries. Prior to being married, Galen (along with a colleague, Carey Miller) also led 2 groups of SST in the Dominican Republic during the 1995-96 school year. Ruth also graduated from GC in '87, and participated in SST in Belize. Natalie calls the Goshen College house in the Dominican Republic the "lizard" house (because there are many lizards which roam around the back yard) in order to distinguish it from her "brown" house in Goshen. The backyard also has a mango tree, a coconut tree and a banana plant which is now loaded with bananas.

The host families are anticipating the students' arrival. Currently, all they know about their student is one information sheet of paper which each student filled out in Spanish along with their picture. From past experience, they know that each student will bring (and receive) much to their family life.

The students will start the term in Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Puerto Rico lies some 70 km to the east.

After their arrival on Wednesday evening (Aug 29), students will spend the night at a guest house in the historical colonial zone. They will be one block from the oldest Christian church in the Americas which was built in the 1500's. On Thursday, they will participate in various orientation lectures and then in the late afternoon will be taken to UNPHU (the local university which the program relates to) where they will meet their families for the first time. On Friday, they will spend the day at ENTRENA (language school). In the morning, their language skills will be evaluated in order to place them in various language groups. In the afternoon, they will learn about getting around town in the "públicos" (the "public" cars which ride up and down major roads)--a cozy experience since up to 6 people plus driver may ride in a compact car. The students then will spend the weekend with their families and on Monday begin the daily routine for the first 6 weeks of their SST experience: mornings at ENTRENA for language study and afternoons at UNPHU for lectures. All interspersed with some field trips. The journey begins ...