Cultural immersion through newfound family strengthens connections

MaeleeSmithThe Dominican Republic service immersion trip, compared to other Marian trips, is unique in several ways. Not only did the students build an aqueduct for the community, but they also got to fully immerse themselves in the culture by living with host families during their stay. The girls split up into groups of two or…

mariandigitalnetwork

September 8, 2026

2–3 minutes

Aubrey Decher, Dominican Republic, DR, host families, maelee smith, service trip

MaeleeSmith
The Dominican Republic service immersion trip, compared to other Marian trips, is unique in several ways. Not only did the students build an aqueduct for the community, but they also got to fully immerse themselves in the culture by living with host families during their stay.

The girls split up into groups of two or three and lived with different host families. They were all relatively in the same area, with the farthest house being a 10-15 minute walk from the others.

The girls all came together at one main house in the center of the community for meals and community time.

***First day at ILAC.*** Seniors Maddie Waters, Aubrey Decher, Harper Cowles, Eva Coffey, Anna Kubat, Moira Harr, Rayla Voor Vart, and Greysen Haynes and juniors Elise Willson and Lillian Willson, pose in the central courtyard area. They then went on a tour of Santiago and took domino lessons. ILAC is very connected with Creighton University. Photo by MaddieWaters.

Senior Aubrey Decher loved getting to stay with a host family in the Dominican Republic.

“Living with our host family was one of my favorite parts of the Dominican Republic because of the way that it immersed me in the culture and language and allowed me to connect with the family and other girls in my house,” Decher said.

***Connection to host family.*** *Moira* Harr ’27, Aubrey Decher ’27 and Lillian Willson ’28 pose with their host family to say goodbye on their last day in the Dominican Republic Their host family, Carlos and his mother, Melita, were delighted to host the girls. Typically, two or three girls stay with each host family. This past year, the trip cost $3,500 to attend. The girls were able to raise most of the money through fundraising. Photo courtesy of MaddieWaters.

The language barrier was a struggle for the girls at first. However, by the end of the trip, their Spanish vocabulary had greatly improved thanks to countless conversations with their host families in Spanish.

Even though the trip was short, from May 24 to June 3, the connections the girls made remain strong.

“I still communicate with my host family over WhatsApp,” Decher said.

Living with a host family offers a unique experience for the girls on the Dominican Republic trip because they get to fully immerse themselves in the culture and form deeper relationships with the Dominican people in a way that they otherwise could not have.