The Peace Corps at 50
In honor of the Peace Corps' 50th anniversary this year, and Cal's role as one of the biggest feeders of that program, Breakthroughs asked some of the College's many Peace Corps (PC) veterans to share their stories, memories, thoughts, and photos. Experiences were as diverse as the CNR alumni who served.
As Fortune Zuckerman, ’61, said, “I didn't do big things, but I did fulfill the three purposes of the Peace Corps: (1) I shared my technical knowledge with others, (2) I learned about another country and learned the language, and (3) I came home to share my love and admiration of my host country for the last 31 years.”
Alice Kelly, Ph.D. Candidate,
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Andrew Wallace,
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David Shen,
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Fortune Zuckerman,
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Maryam Talakoob,
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Lasting impact, here: In a lot of ways the things that frustrated
me the most during the Peace Corps, the things that
I felt powerless to change while I was a volunteer, pushed
me to do the research that I am currently doing. It changed
my life.
Vivid memory: Trying to get a cotton mattress across the
mountains on a motorcycle taxi in the pouring rain. That
thing swelled up like a huge sponge. Wow, that taxi man
hated me.
Advice for new volunteers: Two things: (1) Pride is a luxury
that you cannot afford; (2) Let people be generous, no
matter how poor they are.
Most surprising: Learning the local language is an absolute
must in order to get (almost) anything done. My local language
was a Bantu one that was really challenging to learn, but with
patience and perseverance, I became proficient enough to feel
like a responsible and respected member of my community.
Vivid memory: When I experienced the wet/rainy season for
the first time. I had never been tormented by such thunder,
lightning, and rain — it shook and soaked me to the core; it
was a total body experience, to say the least!
Advice for new volunteers: Strap on the seatbelt, because
Peace Corps service is like a roller coaster ride. It has highs
and lows, goes fast and slow, turns here and there (and even
loops), but ends before you know it or want it to. Most of all,
you won't be the same afterward.
Most surprising: How much Colombia changed me for the
better. I learned to be more sincere in greeting people initially,
rather than a quick American, "How are you?" Sometimes
it would take five minutes to say hello. ¿Como esta
Usted? ¿Que has hecho? ¿Que hay de nuevo? ¿Que me cuentes?
Lasting impact, here: Huge! In Colombia I met two children
who were blind, and assisted them in reaching their school
in Bogota. When I left, I decided to earn my master's degree
in the field of peripatology at Boston College. This would
allow me to train people who were blind to travel about
safely, efficiently, and with confidence. Upon completing my
degree in 1981, I took a job at Braille Institute in Los Angeles,
and stayed with that organization for 22 years.
Most surprising: Poverty! I saw a level of poverty I had never
seen before when I arrived at Roberts Field Airport in Liberia.
I had never seen children running amok in the streets,
without clothes and shoes, and with huge bellies. The feeling
of shame I experienced surprised me the most.
Lasting impact, there: I have kept close contact with a Liberian
friend, arranging to get him and his family out of Liberia
during the civil war so they could come to the
U.S. He is now going back to Liberia to start
a water and latrine sanitation program
[much like Talakoob's PC project] with the
help of his family members.
Lasting impact, here: It increased my
awareness of waste and reuse of material
tremendously. Personally, I developed more
tolerance for differences that I experience in my
surroundings. I am a more patient and giving person than I
used to be. I try not to take life for granted.
Advice for new volunteers: Observe everything, and never
judge. Keep a journal, even if you write one line a day.
