ACIS Student Spotlight: Matt C.

This spring, student Matt C. traveled with his school to the Dominican Republic with ACIS. Learn more about how the experience impacted him and his future goals.
Tell us a little about yourself! Where are you from and what are your interests?
My name is Matthew, I am 18 years old and I am currently a senior in high school from Massachusetts. A bit about myself: I am involved in a few clubs, one of them being the President of our Drama Club and another one being a member of Active Minds. Active Minds is a club that seeks for Mental Health Awareness. I plan on going to Bridgewater State University for college and majoring in General Management in the Business realm.
What made you want to sign up for this ACIS trip to the Dominican?
I wanted to sign up for this trip because I wanted to learn more about the cultural aspects of other places. To try new things like the food, day to day activities that they do, just to see the difference. I also felt like that the Dominican Republic would be a good place to be during the cold up in New England!

“Trying something new everyday, to step out of my comfort zone for certain activities, just really altered some of the things I thought before going in a positive way.”
ACIS Student Traveler Matthew
Looking back, what were your favorite or most memorable parts of your experience?
This trip in general, I enjoyed all of the things we did, but I will say some of the most memorable parts of the trip were visiting the Dominican schools and seeing the variance in how we are taught up here and how they are taught. But I also loved the water activities we did, and I will forever be grateful about the positivity that was spread throughout the entire trip.
Any fun stories from the trip to share?
All of the stories on this trip were so fun and memorable, but I feel like the moments I really liked were the post dinner meetings, where we would reflect about our day and share some key highlights. It was a nice moment to hear from everyone and see their own sides of the story and it brought everyone closer together as a whole.
If I had to choose one activity I would probably say the surfing activity. Most of us were able to catch waves (including me), which I thought I would never be able to do because people make it look so easy yet when you’re doing it, it is all about the timing and everything else involved in it.


Did the trip change your perspective on the world?
I feel like this trip definitely did. This was my first time leaving the country, so I had no idea what I would be expecting. I think just in general I was experiencing culture shocks left and right. Like the way they live compared to here shocked me entirely.
Did you acquire any skills that you think might help you in the future?
I feel like I have truly developed a stronger sense of independence, which is a significant skill that will benefit me in the future. I’ve also learned to trust my instincts and judgement. This shift in perspective empowers me to take initiative and tackle problems head on.

Did your trip affect your interests for what you hope to study when you get to college?
I feel like it opened more horizons for me. I’ve always wanted to go abroad for college and with this trip I’m considering going abroad at one point. Trying something new everyday, to step out of my comfort zone for certain activities, just really altered some of the things I thought before going in a positive way.
What message would you share with younger students who may or may not be considering pursuing traveling outside the US?
Traveling out of the US was such an eye opening experience because I was able to see how other parts of the world function. I know a major part for people is going with your friends from school, but being able to connect with random people from a different country was so inspiring. So if you have an opportunity to do this I highly recommend doing this because you will definitely love it.