Peace Corps Stories
Summer 2015
When UCF campus Peace Corps recruiter Carlos Rojas, 麻豆精品 S�11, tells students about the impact they can make by volunteering with the global service organization, his pitch is simple: 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 gold. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淲hat you know as an undergrad can go a long way in an impoverished country, 麻豆精品 S� he explains. 麻豆精品 S淸Peace Corps volunteers] become the liaisons of information from the outside world. 麻豆精品 S�
Rojas, a former Peace Corps volunteer with a bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in political science, spreads the word about these opportunities in monthly campus meetings and classroom visits. About 35 UCF students are selected for the program annually, a little more than half of the applicants. A simplified application that offers students greater influence over their deployment destinations has increased interest, he says. 麻豆精品 S淲e target classes where the Peace Corps would be relevant to the degree, 麻豆精品 S� Rojas says. 麻豆精品 S淎 lot of education majors want to teach abroad, so the Peace Corps fits into that goal. In health care, the Peace Corps allows [students] to apply theories learned in the classroom to the real world. For students who want to go to graduate school, it provides real-life experiences to add to their academic research. 麻豆精品 S�
Such experiences abound in his and others 麻豆精品 S� stories within the Knight community.
Heidi Jo Bartlett, ’15, used familiar pop stars and TV characters from the U.S. to teach English in Santa Marta, Colombia.
The Colombian teachers applauded Barlett’s innovative method of using popular American song lyrics to teach grammar lessons.
To achieve a true cultural immersion, Bartlett embraced the local customs of her Colombian hosts.
“The culture is different. You learned to work around things, so it was a good experience in resilience.” 麻豆精品 S� Heidi Jo Bartlett, ’15
Johnathon French, ’07, spent three years in Moldova, a destination he had longed to explore.
During his assignment, French taught English in middle schools, colleges and retirement homes.
“I learned to integrate into another culture. It’s empathy, really.” 麻豆精品 S� Johnathon French, ’07
Through play Jeremy Cahill bonded with his students in Madagascar, where he taught English.
To communicate successfully, Cahill learned 16 dialects of the local Malagasy language.
“It was chalk and a chalkboard and 70 students. It was a chance to experience what works, what doesn’t work.” 麻豆精品 S� Jeremy Cahill
Finding a Home in Cameroon
For Rojas, the Peace Corps answered his big question about life after college: 麻豆精品 S淲hat did I want to do? 麻豆精品 S� He says, 麻豆精品 S淚 wanted to see the world; I wanted to learn new languages; I wanted to help people. In the Peace Corps, I could do all of that. 麻豆精品 S�
Rojas volunteered in a remote village in the western African nation of Cameroon, where he taught English and Spanish to children and adults.
麻豆精品 S淵ou travel two hours deep into the desert, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淭hen, out of nowhere, this deep, lush village opens up. The culture is almost completely communal, an approach to life I wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 accustomed to. 麻豆精品 S� He also helped villagers with farming, health tips and business ideas. In one memorable instance, he introduced a deaf student to sign language. 麻豆精品 S淚t was like giving this man the [winning] lottery ticket, 麻豆精品 S� says Rojas. 麻豆精品 S淗e told me, 麻豆精品 S榃ow, this is my language! 麻豆精品 S� … It was changing his life. 麻豆精品 S� During his service, Rojas was able to immerse himself in the region 麻豆精品 S檚 Fula language and culture and learn to cook, a skill he had generally avoided. 麻豆精品 S淵ou go in there as a volunteer, and it feels like you 麻豆精品 S檙e there for work or vacation, but at some point, it stops feeling like that, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚t starts feeling like you 麻豆精品 S檙e at home. 麻豆精品 S�
Teaching with 麻豆精品 S淭he Simpsons 麻豆精品 S� in Colombia
Even in a foreign land, there are glimpses of home. While teaching English in Santa Marta, Colombia, Heidi Jo Bartlett, 麻豆精品 S�15, discovered that her most valuable instructional tools were familiar pop stars and TV characters from the U.S. 麻豆精品 S淎merican songs are very popular, 麻豆精品 S� Bartlett says. 麻豆精品 S淎ll the fourth- and fifth-grade girls really loved One Direction. I had to look them up. And my host [family] brother would watch 麻豆精品 S楾he Simpsons. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�
Bartlett, who recently earned her master 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at UCF, used song lyrics as a foundation for grammar lessons. She played scenes from popular American movies and TV shows to illustrate how people interact. 麻豆精品 S淚 wanted to make it more real, to show that people actually use [language this way], 麻豆精品 S� says Bartlett. And the Colombian teachers she assisted reacted positively to her innovative methods. 麻豆精品 S淭hey were happy that I was able to give them different ideas about what can make class interesting.
麻豆精品 S淭he culture is different, 麻豆精品 S� says Bartlett, adding that afternoon siestas are routine, and it 麻豆精品 S檚 not unusual to cancel classes for bad weather. 麻豆精品 S淵ou learned to work around things, so it was a good experience in resilience. 麻豆精品 S�
Bridging a Cultural Gap in Moldova
During his time in the eastern European country of Moldova, Johnathon French, 麻豆精品 S�07, taught English in middle schools, colleges and retirement homes, an assignment that altered his preconceived notions about Peace Corps service. 麻豆精品 S淵ou always have this idea of living in a hut, although that wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 my experience at all, 麻豆精品 S� says French, who is currently pursuing a master 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in TESOL. 麻豆精品 S淪till, there 麻豆精品 S檚 this romantic idea of giving up everything to help other people. 麻豆精品 S�
French spent three years in a nation that borders Romania, a destination he had longed to explore. 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檝e had a fascination with Romanian culture and language since I was a child, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檝e always wanted some reason to go there, to study there. 麻豆精品 S� His host family drilled him in proper Romanian language, which they used to discuss their cultural differences. French hopes to develop educational programs for nonprofit organizations abroad, a career that will be bolstered by his Peace Corps experience. 麻豆精品 S淚 learned to integrate into another culture, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 empathy, really. You 麻豆精品 S檙e struggling to survive 麻豆精品 S� to speak in a foreign language every day. I know what that 麻豆精品 S檚 like. 麻豆精品 S�
Testing Theories on a Chalkboard in Madagascar
Before graduate student Jeremy Cahill could teach English to high school students in Madagascar, he had to learn 2 dialects of Malagasy, the language of his students. 麻豆精品 S淎side from it being a show of respect, it allows you to form relationships with people and become part of the community yourself, 麻豆精品 S� says Cahill, who is completing his master 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in TESOL. He explains, 麻豆精品 S淵ou 麻豆精品 S檙e not an outsider. You 麻豆精品 S檙e living there for two years.
麻豆精品 S淭here were so many people who helped me with so many things, 麻豆精品 S� says Cahill, who returned to his graduate classes at UCF with real-life teaching examples that expand on his academic research. 麻豆精品 S淭hey helped me with my classes, invited me into their homes. I ended up getting more help than I ever gave.
麻豆精品 S淚t was chalk and a chalkboard and 70 students, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚t was a chance to experience what works, what doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 work. What are my strengths? What are my weaknesses? Now that I 麻豆精品 S檓 studying the theories of learning languages, it has really helped me a lot because I have that experience to draw on. 麻豆精品 S�
Images courtesy of Heidi Jo Bartlett, 麻豆精品 S�15;聽Jeremy Cahill; and Johnathon French, 麻豆精品 S�07