Meet our 2011-2012 Academic Year Volunteers! If you are interested in becoming a DREAM volunteer, please refer to our Volunteering Section.
Ani Yanachkova
2009 Guzmán Ariza Summer School & Camp
2010 Spring Semester
2010 Guzmán Ariza Summer School & Camp
2010-2011 Academic Year
2011 Guzmán Ariza Summer School & Camp
2011-2012 Academic Year
Ani Yanachkova earned her M.A. in Education, Policy and Planning from Boston University in 2009 with a coursework concentration in International Educational Development. During her graduate studies she worked for the Intergenerational Literacy Project (ILP) in Chelsea, MA where she taught an adult literacy class for African refugee and South American parents. Ani also taught abroad in Madrid, Spain for a year where she worked as an English Teacher’s Assistant for elementary school children. She joined DREAM in July of 2009 and taught a literacy class for the Guzmán Ariza Summer School & Camp. She joined DREAM again for the 2010 spring semester and has been with us ever since.
Ana Karen Peralta Morales
2010-2011 Academic Year
2011-2012 Academic Year
Ana is Dominican, from Santo Domingo and is 21 years old. In 2005 at the college where she studied (San Judas Tadeo), she took part in a group called the Action Group for the Millennium Development Goals (Grupo de Acción por los Objetivos del Milenio) where they carried out social actions, following the goals of the UN. In 2006, Ana worked for two months in a public school in Santo Domingo, which motivated her to dedicate herself to education and be an agent of change in the educational system of her country. In 2007, she worked in the Academia Europea teaching basic English to young children and adolescents, and later in private schools in the capital. She finished her schooling early at the University Iberoamericana (UNIBE) and became a teacher for the Dream Project, working in the Montessori classroom in the morning, and with youth in the afternoon, with the objective of obtaining experience in a place where she can support her studies and career, while at the same time developing an evaluation project with the children of the DREAM Project. She feels happy with this wonderful experience and is excited to help and learn.
Kathy Reynaud
2011 Spring Semester
2011 Guzmán Ariza Summer School & Camp
2011-2012 Academic Year
Originally from France, Kathy is a 28-year-old educator who has realized her dream in coming here to the Dominican Republic. She is passionate about teaching, Hispanic and Latino cultures, the arts and dancing. Before moving to the Dominican Republic, she studied Hispanic Philology for five years in France and in Spain. She earned a bachelor’s degree and MA in Spanish Language, holds a secondary school Teaching Diploma as well as degree in French Language Education. Kathy served as a volunteer in a community center in her hometown, Grenoble, and taught in peripheral public school systems throughout Paris for three years. Her work with underprivileged students constitutes the most enriching and rewarding experiences as a professional and continues to be her life-long passion. Upon arriving to Cabarete, Kathy served as primary school teacher in the Escuela Del Nuevo Mundo, and is now very happy to be part of the Dream Project. Kathy loves her line of work and is excited to learn from her colleagues and students alike.
Leah Elam
2011 Guzmán Ariza Summer School & Camp
2011-2012 Academic Year
Leah recently earned her B.A. degree in English Language Arts and General Education, followed by an M.A. in Special Education from Hunter College. After teaching for three years in New York City public and private schools and spending her summers teaching in Caraballo and Villa Ascension, she made the decision to join Dream Project and move to the Dominican Republic for the Academic year, where she could extend a helping hand and further the progress of at-risk children who have the potential to learn and succeed but are not given the opportunity or chance to become successful. She is looking forward to her experience in the Dream Project and to growing and developing as an educator.
Maria Blanco
2010 Guzmán Ariza Summer School & Camp
2011-2012 Academic Year
Originally from Cuba, Maria first volunteered for DREAM during the 2010 summer camp. She holds a Masters in reading and has taught kindergartners to college students all subjects; specializing in art and bilingual education. Maria is taking a leave from her teaching position in Michigan to volunteer with DREAM for the 2011-2012 school year. She is the proud mother of two grown sons, enjoys creating art and is looking forward serving DREAM by empowering children through furthering their education.
Jennifer Gudahl
2011-2012 Academic Year
Jenni Gudahl, as a part of the DREAM Project, will foster her love of literacy though her assignment with the development of a library and related programs at the Máximo Acosta Public School in Abreu. Jenni has a B.A. in Psychology of Human Behavior from the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Arkansas and a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from Boston College. Since 2009, Jenni has been living in La Romana, Dominican Republic working as a Peace Corps Volunteer at Niños de Cristo Orphanage. Jenni has a passion for children’s literacy, and helped develop a library and literacy projects within the orphanage. She is very excited to join The DREAM Project.
Gitana Gotay
2011-2012 Academic Year
Gitana Gotay, a third year Peace Corps volunteer, has brought her expertise to collaborate on DREAM’s Birth certificate Project. Before joining The DREAM Project, Gitana lived and worked in Batey 7 – located in the Deep South of the Dominican Republic – and focused on child documentation, the implementation of sports as a learning tool, and the creation of an afterschool homework center. Gitana has a Master’s Degree in public relations and advertising, and before joining the Peace Corps, was a Hollywood film publicist. We welcome Gitana and look forward to implementing the Birth Certificate Project in all of our communities.
Christina Newman
2010 Guzmán Ariza Summer Camp
2011- 2012 Academic Year
Christina is a recent graduate from the University of Vermont. During her collegiate years, Christina developed an interest in Dominican-Haitian relations and the subsequent racial stigma that surrounds the region’s HIV epidemic. She combined this interest with her passion for sports and first became involved with the Deportes para la Vida program in 2008. Christina was strategic in bringing the Deportes para la Vida program to the DREAM Project in June 2010. While participating in the 2010 Guzmán Ariza Summer Camp, she collected data for her senior thesis project titled “A DREAM for a World without HIV/AIDS, an analysis of a non-governmental organization and its adaptation of a local HIV/AIDS education program.” Her future aspirations include attending graduate school for International Development, but for now Christina is thrilled to be back in Cabarete working with the DREAM Project and playing lots of beach soccer.
Andrew Oliver
2011-2012 Academic Year
Andrew recently earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Vermont, where he majored in Biology and minored in Psychology, upon his graduation in May 2011. Now in his “glide year” between undergraduate graduation and applying to medical school, Andrew decided to travel to the Dominican Republic and become a part of the DREAM Team for the school year as a Science teacher. Andrew hopes to further develop his Spanish skills while having the opportunity to experience life outside the United States before entering into the medical field.
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