By Jeannette (Jenny) Sanchez, Mike Roman, and Orrin Luc
Hispanic Heritage Month invites us to celebrate the rich diversity and complexity of identity—and what better way to do that than through the stories of three Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who challenged expectations and built bridges around the world.
Two of our storytellers proudly identify as Mexican American—yet neither grew up speaking Spanish. One served as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer in Ukraine and Guyana, navigating cultures and climates far from their abuela’s kitchen. The other found themselves in the remote Pacific islands of Kiribati, where the language wasn’t Spanish, and the only tacos around were his, made of tortillas, rice, and ketchup.
Rounding out the trio is a non-Latino volunteer who does speak Spanish… and served in Mexico. The irony? Not lost on anyone, especially him. Passionate and forever humbled by the people he met, his service reflects the deep cross-cultural empathy at the heart of the Peace Corps mission.
Jeannette (Jenny) Sanchez
Born and raised in Alaska for 22 years to a white mother and a Mexican father, I never learned Spanish—but I definitely absorbed my Latin heritage. Between our California relatives, my paternal grandfather, and the broader community, I grew up with a strong cultural foundation. After relocating to Missouri, I spent the next two decades raising two incredible children. Once they left home, I made a bold decision: sell it all and join the Peace Corps.
I wasn’t familiar with the traditional Peace Corps model and had never served before, so I opted for short-term, high-impact assignments through the Peace Corps Response program. From 2013 to 2015, I served in two vastly different countries: Mykolayiv, Ukraine (Eastern Europe), from which I was evacuated in 2014 due to political unrest, and Georgetown, Guyana (South America). In both places, I worked with LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS organizations under the umbrella of Community Development, focusing on capacity building and business development.
As a mixed-race Latina from Alaska, a former “teen mom” to two Dominican and Puerto Rican kids, and a long-time resident of the conservative Midwest—where our arrival was often met with “black or white” thinking—my life has always been layered with what some might call diversity. Diversity of geography, identity, family, experience, and perspective. So it’s no surprise to those who know me that I ended up in two places I had zero cultural connection to. That’s just so Jenny, right? 😄
The Peace Corps was a calling I didn’t even realize I needed until I answered it. It was complex, emotional, and at times overwhelming—but it was also empowering, affirming, and transformative. I walked away not only with a deeper appreciation of other cultures but with a stronger love for my own. I’m prouder of who I am today than I’ve ever been.
Mike Roman
When I joined the Peace Corps and got assigned to Kiribati, I had one burning question: Where is that? Turns out, it’s a string of coral atolls in the middle of the Pacific, just a short 5,000-mile swim from anywhere. Serving from 2000 to 2002 changed the trajectory of my life. I was assigned to Tamana, one of the country’s smallest and most remote islands, where I taught at Margaret Field Primary School. Life on Tamana was beautifully simple and profoundly complex, days marked by the rhythm of ocean tides, the scent of pandanus, and the sound of children laughing as they practiced their English and danced to island songs.
Kiribati challenged me to slow down and show up with humility. I learned to speak Gilbertese, participated in traditional maneaba meetings, and was welcomed into a tight-knit community that shaped my understanding of family. What began as a two-year assignment grew into a lifelong commitment to the people and nation of Kiribati.
My service became the foundation for everything that followed—my research on climate-induced migration, my storytelling work amplifying frontline voices, and my ongoing advocacy at the intersection of policy, culture, and climate justice. More than two decades later, Kiribati is still home to me. Peace Corps service didn’t just connect me to another part of the world—it helped me find my purpose in it.
Orrin Luc
Hi! I’m Orrin Luc from Chicago. I served with Peace Corps Response in Querétaro, Mexico, from 2017 to 2018, initially signing on for a six-month position that turned into 18 unforgettable months. As an Innovation Coordinator and counterpart at the Universidad Politécnica de Santa Rosa Jáuregui, I worked with IBM consultants and local universities to develop innovation ecosystems and bring design thinking into the classroom. Along the way, I facilitated workshops, supported cross-cultural collaboration, and acted as a translator. The experience had such a lasting impact that I stayed in Mexico an extra year to work at the John F. Kennedy School as a Design Thinking Coordinator and IB Assessor. I co-founded the Friends of Mexico group with NPCA to help other RPCVs stay connected to the country and community we came to love. Get involved with the group here.
What started as a short-term professional assignment became a deeply personal journey. Living and working in Mexico reshaped my perspective and helped me recognize the importance of community, family, and shared purpose over careerism and individual achievement. The warmth, creativity, and generosity of the people I met left a lasting impression and challenged me to rethink the meanings of success and fulfillment. My time in Mexico continues to influence how I move through the world and what I value most.
Together, these three remind us that heritage isn’t a box you check or a language you master. It’s a journey of connection, humility, and shared humanity. Whether through mispronounced greetings, unexpected assignments, or surprising fluency, these volunteers embraced service in all its beautiful, bilingual, and sometimes bewildering glory.
Banner Photo: Jenny with a young Afro-Guyanese girl playing with colored powders during the Festival of Colors (also known as Phagwah or Holi) 2015. Mike at PST, Bubutei Village, Maiana Island 2000. Orrin, with his program director, Beatriz Charles, and the current president of Friends of Mexico, Douglas David Crockett.
Thumbnail Photo: This photo was taken during a soccer tournament in a pueblo close to Lislique, El Salvador. Two little girls triumphantly climb a goal as the team from their pueblo wins the match. The photo was taken by Orrin Luc.