Clean Teeth,
Full Heart,
Can’t Lose
Story: Joseph Bell
The Dominican Republic
is more than just online images of white, sandy beaches and all-inclusive resorts. Much more. Many parts of the country—like Villa Hermosa, loosely translated to “beautiful city”—are very poor. But in looking past those destitute conditions, a group of Saint Vincent College students was recently reminded of what matters most in life.
A dental mission trip earlier this year to the Dominican Republic provided experiences to hold onto for a lifetime for thirty-six SVC students, some of whom have since advanced to medical school. The early-March trek afforded a wide variety of Herbert W. Boyer School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Computing students with the opportunity to travel to Villa Hermosa, a satellite city of La Romana, to interact with schoolchildren and residents and assist with providing dental care to hundreds of patients.
Some pre-dental students, such as senior Reese Gadsby, organismal biology major, assisted with cleanings and extractions. Keelan Dental of Butler provided services during the trip. Coincidentally, Reese has been a patient there since she was a young child and for the past three summers worked as a dental assistant at the practice alongside professionals who treated Villa Hermosa residents. Reese showed schoolchildren how to properly brush their teeth, administered fluoride, and assisted hygienists and Dr. Beth Blaisse of Keelan Dental, who performed extractions.
Junior Katelyn Pippin, who’s also studying organismal biology, is another pre-dental student who was “elbow-deep in all of the dental aspects” of the trip. “Some of [the schoolchildren] were scared because they’d never brushed their teeth before, and it was a different sensation,” said Katelyn, who also gained valuable experience during the school year working at Dentistry With a Touch of Art, located across from campus.
Ever since she was a little girl, Katelyn dreamed of one day traveling to other countries to provide dental care, a field with which she says she’s madly in love. Learning that a dental mission trip was available to her at SVC was like finding the Golden Ticket, she said. “I am five hours away from home and I do miss my family,” Katelyn added, “but this school has provided me with so many opportunities that I couldn’t get anywhere else.”
The mission trip was made possible due to the vision and generous contribution of Dr. William DiCuccio, C’70, a retired chief medical officer and founder of My Eternal Refuge, and his wife, Dr. Margaret DiCuccio. The couple vacationed in the Dominican Republic for many years before realizing the great needs in the country, particularly Villa Hermosa. They later partnered with World Servants, an organization specializing in community development in third world countries and went to work providing various necessities to the people of Villa Hermosa.
“It certainly strengthened my resolve to support these trips in the future,” Dr. William DiCuccio said after meeting with the students shortly upon their return home. Another Villa Hermosa mission trip for Boyer School students is scheduled for Feb. 28 to March 7, 2026. The SVC alumnus added that the students are fortunate to receive a faith-based education, a blessing that will provide a lasting foundation. “I believe part of that education is giving back to those less fortunate by being the hands and feet of Christ,” he said, emphasizing the Benedictine hallmarks of love of Christ and neighbor, hospitality, and community. The students were welcomed with open arms by Villa Hermosa residents and ran into very few challenges; even the language barrier seemed miniscule. While translators were on site to help communicate during dental care, Boyer School students were mostly on their own during outside recreation time with the children. Some SVC students used translator apps on cellphones to better communicate with the Spanish-speaking children, but Thomas Anand, C’25, who’s now pursuing a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, still had trouble. As an aspiring healthcare professional, he found a silver lining as this hurdle made him think of his future patients.
“I want to learn Spanish now,” Anand said, as Spanish is the second most common language used in the United States. “I have an idea of how vulnerable that makes them feel, that nobody understands them and nobody knows where they’re coming from because I’ve been in their shoes in another country.”
Senior SaniAnne Jones, organismal biology and theology double major, connected with the children using broken English and Spanish. When that avenue was exhausted, they used charades to communicate. “I really saw the joy in the kids’ eyes when we finally got on the same page and were able to play together,” she said. Adopted at a young age from Nepal in South Asia, SaniAnne always had an interest in medicine. She previously participated in Doctors Without Borders and hopes to one day open an optometry clinic overseas.
While dental care for the general population was a vital component of the mission trip, the children of Villa Hermosa became the main draw for the Boyer School students—with a few life lessons sprinkled along the way.
“These are students that struggle with everyday needs,” including lack of running water and food scarcity, according to Jody Marsh, C'01, G’15, who serves as director of the Office of Global and Community Engagement at the College.
“You can be happy with the little things that you have as long as you have what’s important to you.”
She accompanied the Boyer School students on the trip alongside Dr. Daryle Fish, a now-retired associate professor of chemistry. Many of the homes are mere shacks with dirt floors and metal siding, but during home visits, SVC students found the residents to be hospitable and joyous.
“This is actually a beautiful way of living,” said Celia Monroy, C’25, who’s currently at the Des Moines University School of Osteopathic Medicine pursuing a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree.
Boyer School students reflected on their contributions in different ways during the trip. Each night, senior Braden Thomas, who’s studying organismal biology and business administration, wrote out thoughts about the day and the shared experiences. He wanted to remember the “small things,” but also reflect on his efforts. “It was in these quiet moments that I realized how much of an impact the people there had on me, just as much as we hoped to have on them,” Braden said.
For instance, Katelyn was captivated by an elderly woman who needed a tooth pulled and refused to enter the extraction trailer without holding Katelyn’s hand. The SVC student not only assisted with the procedure, but she also never let go of the woman’s hand. “I had never met this woman before,” Katelyn recalled, “but she was just crying in appreciation.”
In retrospect, the Boyer School junior saw bits and pieces of Saint Vincent College in faraway Villa Hermosa. “You walk through the door,” she said, “and you felt like you belonged there” during house visits throughout the community. Despite having very little to extend in their homes, which oftentimes had dirt floors and lacked food, the residents were quick to offer hugs or something to drink. “Hospitality,” Katelyn added, “is about opening your door to anyone and everyone in the community.”
SaniAnne experienced that hospitality firsthand as she recalled squatting with a group of kids during a game of bottle flips before deciding to sit down on the dirt. The children immediately protested. Thinking it was a made-up courtyard rule, SaniAnne returned to her squatting position while one of the schoolboys ran off. She didn’t think anything of it until he returned with his jacket and laid it on the ground so SaniAnne could sit on it—but she quickly told him to pick up his jacket. ’I gave him the biggest hug I could," SaniAnne said. ’I saw Christ in him shining through that one, small act, and that is something that will forever bring me peace.”
During the SVC students’ last day at the Villa Hermosa school, a group of girls dressed up and performed a dance. The courtyard is surrounded by different floors of the school with overhead balconies, where many fellow schoolchildren stood and enthusiastically cheered. “A lot of us were crying,” Reese recalled, “and it was just so heartwarming and rewarding and just beautiful to see them. They loved what they were doing, and we loved it, too.”