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The next Knights Impact trip is to the eastern Caribbean
from May 12-19, 2018. MGA students can apply now:
www.mga.edu/knights-impact

Amber Cove on the northern coast of the Dominican, LEAVING A TOUCH
the port of call for the Adonia. SHERON SMITH
Klingler’s learning experiences in Dominican
“I thought this would be a great chance hill country went well beyond planting mahogany
to work and travel in another country.” trees.
The driver of the bus that transported her and
The debriefing was bittersweet in that it took other impact activity participants impressively
place during what turned out to be Fathom’s last navigated a series of rut-filled dirt roads and
cruise to the Dominican. The Cuba trips also deposited his passengers in the middle of a small
ended as Fathom prepared to fold into the Brit- enclave of humble but brightly painted homes.
ish cruise line P&O. Fathom administrators are A few children played about or looked curiously
working with industry partners to develop impact at the visitors from front porches. Laundry hung
activity shore excursion options for passengers on lines strung between some houses, but there
taking standard cruises. But for now at least, was no breeze. Mud-covered hogs cordoned off
cruises specifically programmed around impact in a pen intermittently grunted. Chickens roamed
activities are over. freely. A red-haired dog took a siesta next to a
For Knights Impact, though, it’s just the be- parked motorbike.
ginning. Through an arrangement with the activity
“We are actively developing the next version guide, a local woman allowed the visitors to use
of Knights Impact and will offer a program of her toilet before walking to the planting site. It
similar emphasis, duration and cost to students failed to flush, at least on that day. None of MGA
in May 2018,” Thomason said. “What the Fathom students freaked out about it, perhaps a demon-
trip helped us demonstrate is that Knights Impact stration of their adventure-reinforced adaptability
is an international learning opportunity for skills.
students whose academic programs don’t lend At the site, Klingler and the others listened
themselves as readily to a study abroad experi- as a representative of the Dominican’s Ministry
ence. It offers a way in to experiential learning and of Environment, which arranges indigenous
service learning for students.” tree-planting projects with private landowners,
expressed his gratitude through an interpreter.
Indigenous trees such as mahogany absorb less
water and, therefore, help conserve that precious
resource for the country.
“It’s not everyone who is willing to come to a
land that is not their own to help us,” the ministry
representative said.
As the work ended, Klingler looked down the
slope at the newly planted tree seedlings, feel-
ing warmly wrapped in the deep, rich green all
around.
“This is definitely something I’ll always re-
member,” she said. “It’s like I’m leaving my touch
here.”

Editor’s note: A version of this article with additional photographs is posted at
www.mga.edu/marketing-communications/docs/publications/dr-trip-flipbook/

Fall 2017 MGA TODAY 15