Kristin Lee

Kristin Lee spent her summer in the Dominican Republic studying at Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra in the city of Santiago de los Caballeros. Her travels led her all over the island of Hispaniola including trips to Santo Domingo, Sosúa and Cap Haïtien. However, her most rewarding experiences took place in Los Cacaos, a small rural area outside of the town of Salcedo. There she worked as a health promoter educating the community about health risks such as diabetes, sexually transmitted diseases, and hypertension. As a health promoter she was able to participate in community discussions and learn more about the Dominican health care system. Kristin also had the opportunity to visit both private and public hospitals in the Santiago area where she was able to observe firsthand the huge discrepancies between public and private health care. Although she spent a lot of time studying and remaining active in the community, Kristin found time to let loose by learning merengue and bachata, two traditional Dominican dances.