On Monday, March 2, 2020, five Coverdell Fellows at the University of Cincinnati gave a presentation on how their Peace Corps experience changed them in unexpected ways. CARV members, other RPCVs and UC undergraduates attended the event which was part of UC’s Worldfest and also coincided with Peace Corps Week.
All five of the Fellows served during the 2010’s and entered the program at UC after their return home. Clancy worked in Youth Development in Albania. She observed how a Type A American go-getter woman needed to adapt to the local culture in order to make progress. In Morocco, Ian and his wife, Shawn, also participated in Youth Development Programs. Gender roles in Morocco are well-defined and didn’t line up with the dynamic within their marriage – a challenge that they learned to overcome. Will and his wife Rocky were in Liberia. where Will reported that even a “pretty chill guy” like himself had to learn to slow down and “sit slow” with the people in his town. Ashlee was a Volunteer in Senegal where she found a new lens to view her experience as an African-American. In Morocco, Jaime worked in Youth Development and extended a year to do Community Arts,where she observed the power of art in shaping community experience.
Naturally, this being a Peace Corps event, presenters and others met at Andy’s Mediterranean Grill following the presentation to continue the conversation.
