On Saturday, February 17th, a group of Hingham High students from all grades will be traveling to Monte Cristi with EF Tours in an effort to teach English to the students there. Enrollment for this trip took place last spring and students have been preparing to travel to the Dominican Republic ever since.

Signing up was a huge commitment for each individual student. Sophomore Hannah Leawack, one of the younger students that made this decision, chose to go on this trip because, “ being from such a privileged background, I feel like it will be very educational for me to see how other people in the world live.” Overall she hopes that she will “come out of this trip more culturally educated and with a more expansive knowledge of the world around her”.

As a teenager this trip will be extraordinarily trying, especially since for the most part there will be no cell phone use, but to sophomore Kayla Collins, “that’s a small price to pay when it comes to helping others.”

This is not the first time Hingham High has made the trip to Monte Cristi. Ms. Roth demonstrated her global leadership skills by organizing the first trip to the Dominican Republic just a few years ago. The success was overwhelming both in the education of the citizens in Monte Cristi and the experience gained by Hingham High students. Due to the great feedback following that initial trip, Ms. Roth and the other various adults that put together the trip are hoping to make it an annual trip in the years to come.

Ms. Roth hopes that all of the students going on the trip this year will “ have an eye opening experience not only in terms of how people live differently in the Dominican Republic- but in terms of what [the students] are capable of and how they can contribute to the world and also for them to see the strength and potential of people who comparably live in poverty.” Overall Ms. Roth hopes that “ [the students] can come back motivated to do good work in lots of avenues of their lives”. All of the students involved are incredibly grateful to her for helping put the trip together, and they’re all prepared to embark on this life changing experience.