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Traveler: Doris Alcántara
From: United States
To: Dominican Republic
Exchange Type: Internship Abroad
That is what Doris Alcántara did during her Junior year at Gallaudet University, when she interned in the Dominican Republic for three months with the support of the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship which supports American undergraduates to study or intern abroad.
Doris knew that she wanted to do a service project in another country. Her late father was from the Dominican Republic, and she had always been interested in that country. So she started to research her options.
“I searched online to see what information I could find regarding the Deaf community in the Dominican Republic and that’s when I came across ANSORDO.”
The Asociacion Nacional de Sordos de la Republica Dominicana (ANSORDO) is an association of Deaf people that advocates for the rights and inclusion of Deaf Dominicans.
“Growing up, I had gone to the Dominican Republic on a few occasions, and I had a growing curiosity about the everyday lives of Deaf Dominicans” says Doris. “Determined to learn more, I reached out to ANSORDO.” After a video interview with the leaders of the organization, she had found her opportunity.
She put together a research proposal and submitted it for approval to Gallaudet University’s board of trustees and institutional review board. Soon her proposal was accepted. All she had to do now was figure out how to pay for it.