Luceros Fellow

Judith Ravin is a former career diplomat with the U.S. Department of State. Her last diplomatic assignment was as consul general (2020-2023) in south India overseeing several hundred staff at U.S. Consulate General Chennai, covering a consular district of over 180 million people. Judith’s twenty-year career as a Foreign Service Officer includes postings in Peru, Washington DC (Office of the Haiti Special Coordinator), Pakistan, Dominican Republic, Sudan, Cameroon, and Mexico. Judith joined the State Department in 2003 following many years working in Asia, Africa, and Latin America as an editor, translator, and journalist. She did her undergraduate work at universities in France and Spain, in addition to the United States, and holds a Master’s Degree in Romance Languages and Literatures from Harvard University. Judith is a second-year volunteer Fellow (2024-2025) with DREAM serving as case manager with Luceros, a human rights and documentation project fostering institutional and community education alliances that advance the fundamental human right to a legal identity. As a first-year Fellow (2023-2024), Judith focused on sustainable at-risk-youth development, leadership, and empowerment through the dynamic methodology of Deportes Para la Vida programs. Judith is thrilled to continue with The DREAM Project her immersive journey of grass-roots engagement and advocacy for more equitable access to educational opportunities through transformative, sustainable, community programs.

A Ganar Fellow

Nicole Ramirez, a Mexican-American from Los Angeles, California, has dedicated herself to the realm of non-profit work, focusing on education and youth development. After earning her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 2021 from the State University of New York at Potsdam, she continued her academic journey, obtaining a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership in 2022 from the same institution. She recently earned TEFL certification from ACCET, a credential recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Nicole's non-profit journey extends across Vermont, New York, and California. As a youth mentor for MENTOR Vermont, she guided and tutored children aged 6-12, nurturing their academic growth and social development. Complementing this role, Nicole served as a sports coach for the non-profit Special Olympics, actively fostering inclusivity, health education, and leadership development among children with intellectual disabilities. In her recent position as Volunteer Coordinator at Neighborhood Homework House, a Southern California non-profit offering after-school tutoring to lower-income students, Nicole led volunteer management and tutor recruitment. At the same time, she contributed to building important community partnerships, extending the services to better assist students in need within the community. Rooted in a deep commitment to empowering young minds and advancing educational equity, Nicole is embarking on a new journey with the DREAM Project. Joining as an ESL Teacher and Youth Development Fellow within the A Ganar program, she looks forward to bringing her knowledge and passion for service to positively impact the youth and communities of the Dominican Republic.

Literacy Fellow

Sandra Reyes is a dedicated educator and advocate with a passion for supporting immigrant communities. She graduated from the University of Richmond with a degree in Leadership Studies and Latin American Studies. Inspired by her upbringing with immigrant parents, Sandra pursued a career focused on education and advocacy for immigrant families.Sandra began her professional journey teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to newcomer students in Baltimore City Public Schools through Teach for America. In 2023, she was awarded a Fulbright grant to teach English in Bucaramanga, Colombia, where she further developed her skills in language education and cultural adaptability.Currently, Sandra serves as a Princeton in Latin America Fellow with the DREAM Project, where she works as a Teacher Training Fellow. In this role, she is committed to contributing to DREAM’s mission of enhancing educational opportunities in the Dominican Republic. Sandra looks forward to deepening her understanding of Dominican culture and continuing her work in education and community empowerment.

Montessori Fellow

Katherine “Kate” Swisher grew up just outside of San Francisco, California in a town called Larkspur. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Whitman College in 2020 with honors in English literature and creative writing. The year after she graduated she worked for the California public school system as a Kindergarten classroom assistant. In this role she discovered her passion for early childhood education (ECE). During this time she also served as a virtual Americorps member for the Teton Science Schools where she studied place-based education and developed curriculum for educational nonprofits around Wyoming. She moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming in late 2021 to take a full time position with the Teton Science Schools, this time as a Early Childhood Educator. She spent the last three years mastering the Reggio Emilia methodology. Reggio Emilia views the child as capable, with “a hundred ways of thinking, playing, [and] speaking” at their disposal (Malaguzzi). Her program incorporated nature and place-based models of education with the Reggio Emilia pedagogy. Kate believes in the power of play-based learning, a child’s exposure to nature, and the role of documentation and observation within early childhood programs. She hopes to introduce some of her educational values to the Montessori classrooms at the Dream Project. As a Montessori fellow she will work directly with teachers and caregivers, helping refine, inspire, and develop their approaches to teaching and parenting. In return she will learn about the values and practices of the Montessori approach. In her free time, Kate loves practicing yoga and mindfulness, looking at bugs, hiking and climbing up mountains, and creating art out of watercolor and clay. Since moving to Cabarete, she has also developed a love of surfing!

Psychology Fellow

Danielle Jonas-Delson, a California native, recently graduated from Occidental College with a major in Cognitive Science and minors in Linguistics and Spanish Studies. While studying these intersecting fields, she developed an interest in the relationship between cognition, language, and culture. She believes that it is essential to understand the full person, story, and context behind a psychological diagnosis, as well as its many facets. Danielle is looking forward to employing this philosophy and exploring the real-world applications of her studies through her work in the Psychology Department at DREAM. She will be able to build on her experience tutoring and mentoring students of all ages by creating workshops on psychology-related topics and working with the young children. She is also excited to learn from DREAM’s community of mentors and educators!

Luchadores por el Cambio Fellow

Coltrane Joseph, from Hartford, Connecticut, is excited to join DREAM and to work in Youth Development. He graduated from Bowdoin College in the spring of 2023 with a double major in Government & Legal Studies and Hispanic Studies, along with a minor in Urban Studies. After receiving his degree, Coltrane completed two seasonal fellowships with the Hertog Foundation to study specific topics and themes in the humanities. Outside academics, Coltrane has experience working with youth back home and abroad through his initiatives as a local elementary school mentor and his yearly community service trips to Paraguay. An avid traveler, Coltrane enjoys visiting other countries and learning about various cultures and lived experiences that differ from his own. His adventures have taken him to many places, from the ancient ruins of Greece to the maze-like Kasbahs in Morocco and beyond. Most recently, Coltrane completed a swim across the Hellespont, crossing the Dardanelles Straits from Europe to Asia in Turkey—an accomplishment that he regards as one of his proudest achievements. Always fond of sports and recreation and a former captain of his college rugby team, Coltrane is looking forward to changing the lives of young men with the Luchadores por el Cambio program through physical activity. He is excited to help develop programs that promote health awareness, community leadership, and positive growth and to immerse himself in the local Dominican culture.

Montessori Fellow

Ava Lausch is driven by a strong commitment to education and social impact, bringing her diverse experiences and dedication to her role as the STEAM Classroom Fellow in the Montessori program. In college, Ava studied Neuroscience and Hispanic Studies at Oberlin College. Throughout her college years, Ava took on a variety of teaching and mentoring roles, including working as a teaching assistant in a chemistry lab and serving as a Peer Advising Leader for first-year students. Ava’s professional experience extends beyond the classroom, with internships at the Family Crisis Center in Baltimore, the Indiana Department of Correction, and Earth Charter Indiana, all of which shaped her commitment to social impact work. This is her third year in education, following a year teaching English to students aged 3-16 in Catalonia, Spain, and a year teaching 4th and 5th grade Spanish in her college town. Ava is committed to ensuring access to high-quality education and is excited to bring her science background, teaching experience, and enthusiasm for nonprofit work into the STEAM classroom and other DREAM projects.

Youth Development & Proyecto de la USAID Líderes Juveniles Fellow

Randy was born and raised in Metro Detroit, Michigan. He has a Bachelors of Arts Degree from Michigan State University where he double majored in International Relations and Criminal Justice in 2020. The past two years, he has served in the Dominican Republic as a Peace Corps volunteer, in the role of Youth Development facilitator. His role was to foster growth and cross-cultural learning, serving at a local school to give youth more access to mentorship, & healthy life skills programs. In the 3 years prior to his Peace Corps service, he worked first as a legislative ntern, and then Office Manager/Director of Constituent Relations for state senator Marshall Bullock II in Michigan. 

Ever since his first experience with the Dream Project in 2014 through his highschool, returning to the DR has always felt like a calling. DREAM opened his eyes to the impact that intercultural engagement and stepping outside of one’s comfort zone can have on a young person’s future, something he will always be grateful for. To now have the opportunity to return to DREAM as a Youth Development & Proyecto de la USAID Líderes Juveniles Fellow and pay it forward, truly is a full-circle moment. Randy sees a future in public service, with dreams of working in diplomacy & international development. In the short-term, he would like to continue gaining leadership experience, building upon his intercultural communication skills, and continue working to inspire youth to follow their dreams. Overall, he lives to serve and make a difference not only in communities, but in the world.