Our Story
La Marea Project began not as a plan, but as a series of relationships-formed over time through shared experiences, trust, and a deep love for the Dominican Republic.
What started as individual journeys-through education, service, sport, and family-gradually became something more connected. Years of leading student trips, living within the community, and building meaningful partnerships revealed a common belief: the most impactful experiences are not transactional or surface-level, but rooted in authentic relationships and mutual exchange.
Here, service is not about “helping from the outside,” but about walking alongside others. It’s about learning, listening, and being open to change. It’s about stepping into a community with humility and leaving with a deeper understanding of the world-and your place in it.
At its core, Marea is about connection. Between people. Between cultures. Between where you come from and where you find yourself. Like the tide, those connections build over time-shaping perspective, creating belonging, and leaving a lasting impact long after the experience ends.
This is the story we’ve lived—and the one we invite you into.
Meet Our Family
Maddie
Maddie first traveled to the Dominican Republic in 2015 on a high school service trip — an experience that would shape the course of her life. She returned for a gap year, and after college, made the decision to move back full-time. Her connection to the community is rooted in real relationships built over years of showing up. It was at a local baseball game that she met David, a moment that reflects the heart of what this project is about: connection born naturally through shared space and experience. Maddie now lives in Cabarete with David and their son, Angel, and finds meaning every day in the life they've built here.
David
David was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, where baseball is more than a sport — it's a way of life. A former player in the New York Mets development system, he grew up playing on the very field where he now leads a local recreational team. That field, known as "the pley," sits at the heart of the community. David takes deep pride in his country and has a remarkable ability to create something out of very little — a reflection of the resilience and resourcefulness that defines so much of life here. Through him, participants are invited to experience what daily life in the Dominican Republic truly looks like, grounded in authenticity and everyday beauty.
Sara
Sara brings over 30 years of experience in education, having worked as both a teacher and a school administrator — she currently serves as a high school principal in the United States. For more than a decade, she has partnered with local Dominican organizations focused on empowering children through education and has spent 12 years planning and leading student service trips to the Dominican Republic. Her connection to this community runs deep: her two grown children and two grandchildren now call the DR home. Sara is committed to creating experiences that are meaningful, well-organized, and rooted in genuine relationships with the people and places that make this work worth doing.