The joy on the face of Jack West ’25 is real.
Jack and his family were in the Dominican Republic over Spring Break, continuing Christ School’s service outreach to the Caribbean country.
The West family filled three days with different service opportunities:
1. Jack created a “Dominican Dental Drive,” delivering supplies that were used on the Good Samaritan Hospital Dental Clinic’s mobile treatment bus. Jack had been collecting the donated supplies for months, with help from at least three Christ School families. He was enlisted as a dental assistant while on the trip.
2. Through the N.C. Tennis Association, Jack was able to procure 40 rackets, 60 balls, three portable nets, and USTA headbands and sweatbands. With the donated gear, the West family held two tennis clinics at the Rodney Henrickson School in La Romana, where a Christ School group last visited in the summer of 2023. Dental goody bags were passed out to everyone who attended the clinics.
3. Finally, Jack and his family returned to the sugarcane village of Como Quiera, where the residents’ familiarity with Jack and Christ School helped them feel confident in receiving fluoride varnish and dental goods.
“One of the best parts of a trip like this is the joy I feel when I get to play with the kids and know that even a small thing can make a big impact,” Jack wrote in a letter, thanking the trip’s donors.
“I always leave with a greater sense of perspective and gratitude for what I have in my life.”
Between the planning, collection of supplies, and actual trip, Jack calculated that he put in 54 hours of service. This was his second visit to the Dominican Republic and the fourth overall for the West family. Jack's mother, Emily P’25, was introduced to service opportunities in the country by Fleming Edwards P’25.