A Day in the Life: Peace Corps Week 2019
- Feb 20, 2019
More than five decades ago, President John F. Kennedy created Peace Corps to help Americans become changemakers around the world. This week, from Feb. 24 to March 2, we celebrate Peace Corps Week and recognize Longhorns currently serving in a community abroad.
Since its creation in 1961, more than 1,800 graduates of The University of Texas at Austin have served as Peace Corps Volunteers. UT is ranked eighth among the top volunteer-producing large colleges in the country with more than 60 UT alumni serving across the globe in various sectors including education, agricultural, community economic development, health, environment and youth development.
This year, following the theme of national Peace Corps Week, “A day in the life…”, we will be sharing a glimpse of the volunteers’ daily activities in their different countries.
Miguel Robles
B.S. Communication Studies ‘18
Peace Corps Volunteer in Indonesia
As an English teacher, Miguel Robles starts his day early and gets to his school by 7 a.m. His day also involves interacting with teachers in the school and spending time with his host family. Robles’ community, located in the region of West Java, is like a “mini-Austin,” he described, because of its “weirdness” and coffee culture. Being in Indonesia has helped also him realize his passion for international sustainable tourism.
“I would have never imagined that I could build such strong relationships with people who live on the other side of the world from where I grew up in such a short period of time,” Robles said.
Read more about his volunteer experience in Indonesia.
Jeremy Nicot
B.A. History ‘17
Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal
A significant portion of Jeremy Nicot’s day is spent interacting with people in his community. After breakfast, he makes his rounds visiting people, spending about 15 minutes with each person, and typically running into new people along the way. As a community economic development volunteer, he works on projects aimed at increasing economic participation as well as provide training for basic business and accounting skills.
“Being able to greet people like old friends, visit people's houses and eat lunch when they inevitably invite me, and being invited to everyone's baptisms and weddings is such a wonderful thing to be able to do,” Nicot said.
Read more about his volunteer experience in Senegal.
Stephanie Estrera
B.A. Psychology ‘18
Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines
Stephanie Estrera is an early riser. She wakes up at 5:15 a.m. and goes for a run before starting work as an English and science co-teacher at an elementary school. She also works on projects such as a library development program, a reading program and leadership camp. For Estrera, who is half Filipino, her time serving in the Philippines is also a way to experience her own culture. Being there has taught her both the importance of community as well as self-reflection.
“Most people apply to Peace Corps with the expectation that they’ll volunteer and change the world. I learned early on that it’s best to drop all expectations, and just be open to the experiences that come your way,” she said.
Read more about her volunteer experience in the Philippines.
Clarissa Salazar
B.A. Health and Society ‘16
Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon
As a health volunteer, Clarissa Salazar serves as a volunteer at the community’s health center. Her typical workday includes working on projects for improving maternal and child health. She works with pregnant women and children under 5 years old, and on some days, she even gets to assist with baby deliveries. At night, she relaxes by chatting with her close friends and watching Cameroonian soap operas or local football matches.
“Everyone thinks and says, ‘You’re making such a big difference to their lives,’ but in all reality, they are changing my life and making the biggest difference,” she said.
Read more about her volunteer experience in Cameroon.
Molly Huser
B.B.A. Marketing ‘18
Peace Corps Volunteer in Moldova
Molly Huser works at the town library, helping the librarian work on new computer skills, such as Excel, Gmail and running a Facebook page. She also helps teach students up to age 13 with various activities such as learning English and computer skills such as coding. Her activities as a community economic development volunteer vary day by day, and through her experience in Moldova, she has learned to be flexible when things don’t go as planned.
“One thing Moldova has taught me is to just be flexible and accept that life is life and it changes,” she said.
Read more about her volunteer experience in Moldova.
