What position do you hold at Rustic Pathways? What has been your career path so far?
I am the Country Director for the Dominican Republic and Cuba. I started working for Rustic Pathways as a summer program leader in 2008 in Costa Rica shortly after graduating from college. I worked seasonally for a few years before deciding to join our full time team as a Program Manager in Costa Rica and Panama in 2010, where I managed our programs working with indigenous groups. In 2012, after many years of trying to convince anyone that would listen that opening a program in the Dominican Republic was a good idea, I finally got the chance to prove it.
What does the future hold for Rustic Pathways - any exciting new programs to share?
I am extremely excited about our new programming in Cuba. Building cultural bridges has always been a big part of the draw of Rustic Pathways for me. With this new opportunity I feel like I can have a small part in history by helping build a bridge of understanding and collaboration between Cuban and American youth. On top of that I have irrevocably fallen in love with Cuba's landscape, people, rhythm, and energy. The historical connections between Havana, Santo Domingo, and New Orleans only adds to my inspiration for learning more about Cuba.
What was your favorite traveling experience?
My wife and I started dating shortly after I started working full time for Rustic Pathways. She herself is also a traveler, and also works for Rustic Pathways. At the time we would spend 4-6 months apart due to our duties in different parts of the world, but would re-unite at the end of our summer season to go on a trip together. In 2011 we went from San Jose, Costa Rica to Mexico City on bus. We climbed volcanoes, ate lots of good food, swam in many beaches, but by far our favorite moment was watching the sunrise from the top of one of the main temples at Tikal in Guatemala. Looking out at the vast city that once was made me feel so naive in my belief that we are now so much more advanced.
What unique qualities does your company possess?
I've seen Rustic Pathways grow and mature over my seven year tenure. Two of the best qualities are the family-esque culture and the program-centric model that we have committed to. I have had the pleasure to participate in leadership meetings, and it is incredible to see that every conversation always comes back to the students and the experience. Every decision we make comes back to whether it is a decision that positively impacts our students and the communities we partner with. I also love the fact that many of my co-workers are also very important people in my life. My co-worker from Costa Rica officiated my wedding, and some of my best friends either work or have worked for Rustic Pathways.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
A big part of our Dominican Republic programming is our work with sugar cane workers, mostly of Haitian descent, in the bateyes of the Dominican Republic. A big part of the issue there is the lack of documentation on the part of people have been living in a state of limbo for generations now. One of our students was so moved by her work in the bateyes, and the issues there that she did not want it to end with her program. She went home and began a fundraising and awareness campaign that would allow us to acquire birth certificates for over eighty Haitian-Dominican youth in the bateyes.