Madame Presidents
Meet the new presidents of the Poetry Foundation and the YMCA of the USA. For the first time at both of these venerable institutions, there’s a woman at the helm. Michelle Boone President of the Poetry Foundation CHAD | 1994–96 Photo courtesy the Poetry Foundation Named in April as the new president of the Poetry Foundation, Michelle Boone is the first woman of color to lead the storied Chicago-based institution, which publishes the century-old journal Poetry, one of the most prominent literary journals in the United States. Along with her Peace Corps service, Boone brings over 20 years of...
Notable: Recent Awards for Four Members of the Peace Corps Community
Honors from the University of California, the Republic of Mali, Dartmouth College, and Bucknell University By NPCA Staff Maureen Orth | Colombia 1964–66 Maureen Orth received a 2021 Campanile Excellence in Achievement Award from the Cal Alumni Association, in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley Foundation, for pushing boundaries whenever possible. She is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and founder of the Marina Orth Foundation, which supports education in Colombia. Melvin Foote | Ethiopia 1973–75 Melvin Foote received special recognition from the president of Mali this year: He is to be honored with the Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mali — the...
Taiwan Trip: Former U.S. Senator Chris Dodd and Two Former Secretaries of State Formed an Unofficial Delegation in April
The trio’s arrival coincided with an increase in military activity by China. The visit was meant to reassure Taiwan that the U.S. is a “reliable and trusted friend.” By NPCA Staff Flag image from Wikimedia Commons Former U.S. senator and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Chris Dodd, along with two former deputy secretaries of state, Richard Armitage and James Steinberg, who served under presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama respectively, headed to Taiwan in April. The trio made up an unofficial delegation dispatched by President Biden. Their trip coincided with the 42-year anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act; the visit...
The M’s Did It for Her
D-M-H-A ... and what words begin to appear? Miriam Welderufael (Paraguay 2013–16) finished her appearance on “Wheel of Fortune” in February 2021 with a moment of true delight in the bonus round. Welderufael is a portfolio manager at AmeriCorps in Los Angeles. After choosing her letters, she had 10 seconds to solve the puzzle — a phrase. Image courtesy Wheel of Fortune She nailed it immediately: “DON’T MOVE A MUSCLE.” As host Pat Sajak noted, “The M’s did it for you!” Her winnings: over $57,000 and a white Mustang convertible. Watch the big moment here.
#StartSmall and Think Global
Inspired by Peace Corps experience, the Women’s Global Education Project gets a boost from Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey By NPCA Staff Photo: Women’s Global Education Project scholars. Photo courtesy WGEP Following her Peace Corps service (Senegal 1996–99), Amy Maglio founded the Women’s Global Education Project, a nonprofit organization with a goal of helping young girls across the world. The project launched in 2004. In March 2021, it received a $750,000 grant from Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey through his #StartSmall initiative. “This all really came from my experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal,” Maglio told the Chicago Tribune. “I helped my...
Humility, Grace, and Dance
Meet Carole Anne “Aziza” Reid, the winner of the 2021 Lillian Carter Award. By NPCA Staff Photo: Dance lessons in Eswatini. Photo courtesy Carole Anne Reid Carole Anne “Aziza” Reid was serving as a youth education Volunteer in Eswatini when COVID-19 forced the evacuation of all Volunteers. It was her second tour with Peace Corps; she served in Moldova 2016–18, working in community organizational development. There, she created community programs to empower women and youth through African dance classes and social justice activities. Home is originally Harlem. When Reid joined the Peace Corps at age 53, she brought years of experience in the...
Unleashing Climate Innovation
Audrey Zibelman takes on responsibilities as vice president at X, the Moonshot Factory, leading work to decarbonize the electrical grid. By NPCA Staff This year Audrey Zibelman (Chad 1977–79) took up a new post as vice president at X, the Moonshot Factory, where she works to develop tools and capabilities to decarbonize the electrical system. In April, as the Biden administration convened the Leaders Summit on Climate, Zibelman was invited to present steps that can be taken to counter the detrimental impacts of the climate crisis. During the summit, Zibelman announced that the U.S. and the U.K. would be joining the...
China Farewell, Again
Renowned writer Peter Hessler had planned on spending five years back in China with his wife and daughters. But the university he was teaching at did not renew his contract. By NPCA Staff Writer Peter Hessler made an unexpectedly early return to the U.S. this summer. In 2019, the New Yorker correspondent, who served with Peace Corps China 1996–98, moved to the city of Chengdu to teach — more than 20 years after he taught at Fuling Teachers College as a Volunteer. He was planning on a five-year sojourn with his wife and daughters. In May he learned that his contract for...
First Volunteers, 8/28/61
The legislation that permanently created the Peace Corps had yet to pass the Senate. But the Peace Corps had been launched by an executive order issued in March. And the first Volunteers were about to embark on service in Ghana and Tanganyika. A moment in time: August 28, 1961. Founding Peace Corps Director R. Sargent Shriver leads 80 Volunteers who are headed for Ghana and Tanganyika, now Tanzania, to the White House, where President John F. Kennedy will give them a personal send-off. JFK thanks them for embarking on their service, “on behalf of our country and, in the...
Remembering Some We’ve Lost: Ambassador Larry L. Palmer
He began his career as a teacher with the Peace Corps | 1949–2021 He was a diplomat who devoted decades to advancing peace, prosperity, equality, and democracy in the Caribbean. Peace Corps service set him on that path. Equipped with a bachelor’s from Emory University, he headed to Liberia as a Volunteer (1971–73) and taught general science, biology, math, and chemistry. He admired the commitment of U.S. Embassy staff he met. He completed graduate degrees in African studies and education, then embarked on a career that took him to the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Ecuador before he was...