Peace Corps Achievements – February 2021
News and updates from the Peace Corps community — across the country, around the world, and spanning generations of returned Volunteers and staff By Peter Deekle (Iran 1968–70) Pioneering Black women in leadership roles with the Department of Labor and Department of State. Bringing expertise to work on the National Security Council and in the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador. Recognition for work toward equity in health and forest stewardship. And a new role in journalism. Photo: A Twitter moment with Janelle Jones, the new chief economist for the Department of Labor. She’s the first Black woman to serve in that role. CAMEROON Erin Swiader took...
Peace Corps Achievements — January 2021
Achievements in the Peace Corps community from across the country — and around the world By Peter Deekle (Iran 1968–70) From new books to leadership roles, working with students and refugees, in conservation and the church. Plus a story of gratitude for all the Volunteers who served in Korea — with a thank-you and help in a time of pandemic. Photo: Shenna Bellows, who served as a Volunteer in Panama, is sworn in as Maine’s Secretary of State — the first woman to serve in that role. BOTSWANA Connie Czepiel (2009–11) has a career in international finance. She is also recently author of Dream On! The...
Peace Corps Achievements — December 2020
Achievements of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Across the country — and around the world By Peter Deekle (Iran 1968–70) ALBANIA Ackeem Evans (2018–20) is the co-founder of EVERYONE EATS FOUNDATION, Inc. He is the project manager for World Central Kitchen, helping feed Louisiana refugees and first responders in the 2020 aftermath of Hurricane Laura. BENIN Megan McComb (2018–20) received a Fulbright fellowship for the 2020–21 grant year. She will serve as English Teaching Assistants (ETA) abroad. While the COVID-19 pandemic postponed travel plans, she will be able to begin her placement as soon as January 2021, conditions permitting. ...
Peace Corps Achievements — November 2020
Achievements of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Across the country — and around the world By Peter Deekle (Iran 1968–1970) Photo: Tavish Fenbert, evacuated from Peace Corps service in Senegal in March — and recognized in August for his work to help food insecure families in Seattle BENIN Leif Brottem (2002–2004) is an assistant professor of Global Development Studies at Grinnell College in Iowa. He currently conducts academic field research on resource use outside of Park W in Benin and Niger, and at Zakouma National Park in Chad. He recently penned “Protecting African Wildlife: A Defense of Conservation Territories” for Mongabay. CAMEROON Jomara Alexandra Laboy Rivera (2015–2018) currently works in the Peace Corps’ Office...
Peace Corps Achievements — October 2020
Achievements of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Across the country — and around the world By Peter Deekle (Iran 1968–1970) Angell Kim (far right) served in the northern coast of Colombia as a Peace Corps Volunteer in education and community development from 2016- 2018. Picture courtesy of Peace Corps. BULGARIA Jerramy Dear-Ruel is a candidate for Montana’s House District 6 in 2020. He is a former Peace Corps Volunteer, detention officer, anf law enforcement park ranger. Jeremy is also the founding executive director of Sparrow’s Nest of Northwest Montana, a nonprofit dedicated to helping homeless high school students. COLOMBIA Angell Kim (2016-2018) was...
Peace Corps Achievements — September 2020
Achievements of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Across the country — and around the world By Peter Deekle (Iran 1968–1970) BURKINA FASO Tyler E. Lloyd (2012–2014) is an environmental protection specialist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and author of a memoir, Service Disrupted: My Peace Corps Story (August 2017). Tyler hosts My Peace Corps Story podcast, aiming to tell some of the many diverse and rich stories of Peace Corps Volunteers in their own words. The podcast is temporarily suspended, to be resumed later in 2020. Yoruba Mitchell is a community health educator with Doctors without Borders, teaching people how to prevent malaria, cholera, Zika, and Ebola. Since early 2020, she...
Fulbrights, Global Citizens, Teacher of the Year: Community Achievements — August 2020
Achievements of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Across the country — and around the world By Peter Deekle (Iran 1968-1970) RETURNED PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS (RPCV) MADISON The Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Madison, Wisconsin, is the recipient of the Global Citizen Award from the United Nations Association of America, recognizing its annual production of an international events calendar, ongoing community programs (such as Freeze for Food walk), and a long history of service reflecting the United Nation’s mission, values, and goals. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Alexander Battaglia (2018–20) has received a Fulbright award for the 2020–21 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the...
Peace Corps Achievements — July 2020
Achievements of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Across the country — and around the world By Peter Deekle (Iran 1968-1970) A science fellow on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response, a 2020 American Food Hero, a sustainable bee keeper in Cambodia, a ballet dancer, and an artisan are just some of the community members we feature this month. Learn more and remember to share your news with us! ALBANIA Ackeem Evans (2018-2020) is leading operations for World Central Kitchen in Georgia, distributing more than 65,000 free meals to the needy and underserved in the metro Atlanta area. BELIZE Eileen McGowan (2016-2018) has an active role in the COVID-19...
Peace Corps Community Achievements — June 2020
Community News — Achievements of RPCVs | June 2020 By Peter Deekle (Iran 1968-1970) ETHIOPIA John Garamendi (1966-1968) along with his Congressional colleague Chris Van Hollen (MD) is calling for an expansion of the AmeriCorps program as a way to battle the coronavirus in the U.S. — a role aptly suited for evacuated Peace Corps volunteers. Julien Joy (2016-2018) is a master in public policy candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School. He wants to advance equitable access to quality education and is a Mayoral Leadership in Education Network Student Fellow for the summer of 2020. GUATEMALA Russell Nylen (2019-2020) recently evacuated from his host country...
Peace Corps Community Achievements — May 2020
Community News — Achievements of RPCVs Author: Peter Deekle (Iran 1968-1970) May 2020 ARMENIA Elizabeth Morgan (2019-2020) continues to chair the Peace Corps volunteer team in Armenia following her evacuation due to the coronavirus pandemic. She works remotely with an Armenian non-profit organization on an English-language contest for students aged 12 to 17. The project is funded by a Peace Corps Partnership Program grant. The contest helps contestants develop digital literacy skills alongside spoken English, critical thinking, and confidence in public speaking. Since January 2020, students from all over Armenia have been studying and reciting well-known speeches and poems in English as...