Northern Essex Community College continues to foster deeper connections with students and the Dominican diaspora through annual immersion trips to the Dominican Republic. As part of the planning for the 2026 trip, participants from 2025 are sharing their experiences, takeaways, and perspectives. They recently took part in a panel discussion led by Vice President of the Lawrence Campus and Community Relations Naydeen González-De Jesús.

Giselle Peguero Grullon, Trish Tupa, Amanda Prophett, Devan Walton, Lisa Walters, Naydeen González-De Jesús

“The 2025 International Immersion Trip to the Dominican Republic was a pivotal moment for Northern Essex Community College, strengthening its commitment to fostering global learning, cross-cultural understanding, and international collaboration,” said González-De Jesús. She shared about several key partnerships forged from the trip, including with the Ministerio de Educación Superior, Ciencia y Tecnología (MESCyT) and the Institute of Dominicans Living Abroad (INDEX). Both are working with Northern Essex to facilitate student and faculty exchanges, the sharing of best practices and resources, and the development of curriculum and academic programs.

The trip included visits to government offices, high schools, colleges, and important cultural and historical sights. Public Health Program Coordinator Amanda Prophett said connections with faculty in the Dominican have influenced her teaching. “Some of these majors and areas of study, like public health, really have a global lens. It’s a really rich experience for students to be able to network across borders.”

Business Professor Trish Tupaj shared that she meets regularly with a faculty contact in the Dominican Republic to discuss curriculum and development opportunities for students and other faculty alike.

Computer Science Professor Devan Walton highlighted how the trip has also helped build connections with his students: “I can say to them, ‘I’ve been to Santo Domingo, I’ve been to Salcedo,’ and it gives us a common ground.”

SOAR Academic Coach Lisa Walters agreed. “We visited the Casa Museo Hermanas Mirabal and really got a sense of the significance to the culture and to the people of the Dominican Republic,”

The 2026 trip is planned for mid-March. Faculty or staff who are interested in participating should contact  Giselle Peguero Grullon, associate director of Lawrence Campus and Community Relations.

To read more about the 2025 trip, visit the webpage.