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For Kimberly Crandall, a 2004 summer vacation to the Dominican Republic was a life-changing event.
It was there, in a resort town called Punta Cana, that Crandall and her daughter met a young Dominican man named Franklin Ydalis, whose 18-hour workdays in the resort captured Crandall’s attention.
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| Kimberly Crandall |
At that time Crandall had one year left at Fordham, where she was working toward her master of science in social work, with a focus on family therapy. But when she learned more about Ydalis’ childhood—begging on the street, sleeping on a dirt floor, losing a 5-year-old sibling to starvation—she knew she had to help the children who were still living that existence.
Visiting Ydalis’ home in Miramar, located on the Dominican Republic’s southwestern coast, eight hours from the resort where he worked, Crandall saw an impoverished town of roughly 300 people, mostly Haitians who had crossed the border in search of a better life.
She decided then and there to establish a school to help combat the 100 percent illiteracy rate among both the children and adults of the town, and the Dominican Literacy Project was born.
By January 2005, Crandall had opened the school in a two-room structure of corrugated walls and a makeshift roof. At the same time, she was taking a courseload focused on clinical work.
Six months later, however, Crandall mentioned opening the school during a routine meeting with Jane Edwards, D.S.W., assistant dean of the Graduate School of Social Service, who suggested switching the focus of Crandall’s degree from family therapy to administration.
“I wasn’t even considering it, but it’s been amazing,” Crandall said. “It’s the perfect training for what I’m doing. I was so excited to go to every class.”
Instead of focusing on the clinical aspects of therapy, Crandall studied how to develop a budget, form task groups and run public relations and human resources departments—skills that prepared her for running a nonprofit organization.
While completing her final year at Fordham, Crandall traveled back and forth to the Dominican Republic, opening a second school and raising money for her project. She will graduate with a master’s degree in social work and plans to return immediately to Miramar and continue her work at the school.
Earning her master’s degree was no easy feat for Crandall, who received her bachelor’s degree from Western Connecticut State University and lives in Washington, Conn. In addition to her commute to Fordham’s Tarrytown campus, she also had an internship in Hartford, and often spent as much time in her car as she did at home or in class.
In selecting a university for her graduate studies, Crandall said Fordham’s flexible schedule was a huge draw that prompted her to choose the school over the University of Connecticut.
Crandall, who lives with her husband and has two adult children, plans to spend half the year in Connecticut and half in Miramar, all because of a chance encounter on a summer vacation.
“It was a split second in my life. I could have chosen to get on a plane and forget what I saw or do something,” she said. “I’ve never looked back—never regretted it.” |
