A grandfather’s legacy of service in Thailand

Ollie (Olivia) Goldstein served as an Education Volunteer in Thailand from January 2024 to March 2026.  In this story she shares how her grandfather Jack, who served as one of the first Peace Corps Volunteers in Thailand in the early 1960s, inspired her to join the Peace Corps.

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Brandeis University, my grandfather Jack applied to join the Peace Corps. He was accepted and sent to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor for pre-service training in October 1961. During training, Jack met Pongsuwan, an assistant teacher for the Peace Corps Trainees’ Thai language classes. At the time, she was studying at the university for her master’s degree in teaching English as a second language. After the very first class, Jack immediately ran up to Pongsuwan and asked her to dinner.

After training, Jack was sent to Ubon Ratchatani to teach English at what is now known as Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University in January 1962. Pongsuwan stayed at the University of Michigan to finish her graduate studies, so was not able to see Jack during that time.

Despite being so far from each other, Jack and Pongsuwan managed to stay in touch by exchanging aerograms (lightweight airmail stationery that combines a letter and envelope in one piece of thin paper), as phone calls were too expensive. They exchanged about 10 letters during this time.

After a successful year in Ubon Ratchatani, Jack asked to continue his service in Bangkok so he could teach English at Thammasat University and see Pongsuwan again.

Upon graduating in August 1962, Pongsuwan took a long flight with two stops from Ann Arbor to Bangkok, where she was reunited with Jack. The two were very excited to see each other after seven months apart.

Jack’s Peace Corps service was supposed to end in October 1963, but he was allowed to leave early in order to start graduate studies in the Southeast Asian Studies program at Yale University in Fall 1963.

Jack and Pongsuwan wanted to be together while Jack studied at Yale, so they got married at the consulate in Bangkok in August of 1963.

During my senior year in college, I asked myself what I wanted to do after graduating. As I enjoy both educating others and service work, I began to consider the Peace Corps.

While looking into the Peace Corps my mother shared the story I just recounted about my grandfather. When I learned that my grandfather had been among the first Volunteers to serve in Thailand, I decided to apply. My mother, grandmother, and I all cried when I called them to tell them I had been accepted. I departed for Thailand in January 2024.

My grandfather passed away in 2021, so he never knew that I joined the Peace Corps, but I know he would be proud of me. Our Peace Corps connection made me feel closer to him and helped keep my spirits up during the hard times of pre-service training.

After completing my training, I was sent to my site in Phatthalung (southern Thailand).

As an Education Volunteer, I was mainly responsible for creating lesson plans for and teaching grades one through six at a school. While I enjoyed teaching students, the highlight of my service was the teacher training camp I helped to organize. At the camp, 92 teachers came to learn about teaching techniques and positive classroom management. It was wonderful to see so many teachers dedicated to learning and improving their students’ experience at school.

After two years, I completed my service with the Peace Corps. My site and the people were wonderful, and I thoroughly enjoyed being a Peace Corps Volunteer there. I plan on returning to Thailand soon!