The couple worked together for a study abroad program the summer after her commitment was over, and she later worked at a bilingual school for upper-class Dominicans, while networking with development professionals and exploring job possibilities.Īfter several development projects, Elizabeth and Rigil-Kent, who also had experience teaching Spanish, decided to start a program of their own. “She is good friends with the nuns I worked with.” After falling in love with the country and with Rigil-Kent-who was training Peace Corps volunteers at the time-she knew she wanted to stay in the island country and work in development. “I took Spanish immersion classes with his mom,” Elizabeth says. She met Rigil-Kent Ballester soon after arriving in the D.R. “As it turned out, after my year I felt like I had mastered the language, understood the culture, and was more prepared to be effective in community outreach work.” “I thought that one year would be a long time,” Elizabeth says of the Catholic Church volunteer program she enlisted in to help educate Haitian and Dominican children and adults. But I met the love of my life and have gotten the opportunity to be involved in really interesting development work in public health and education.” The best-laid plans sometimes go awry, but Elizabeth, who graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in health education, isn’t feeling the slightest bit disappointed. “My plan was to come and volunteer for a year. This wasn’t exactly the plan,” admits Elizabeth Conklin-Ballester ’00. CSA volunteers working on a home-building project
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