How Peace Corps Volunteers helped me learn English and gain confidence

There were a lot of them, and almost every summer there was a new Peace Corps Volunteer, and I would make new friends with them, and that made me very happy. I don’t remember all their names because I was little but there was one Volunteer who will always have a special place in my heart. I think her name was Paige. We used to play a lot and go for walks with my grandma’s dog to both the park and the school. She would help me with my English, and I would help her with her Romanian. By doing this, she helped me be able to speak English and make new friends when I later visited a water park in America. I really hope that Paige remembers me, because I remember her, and she was so nice and friendly with me.

Fast forward 5 years to this past summer when I met a Peace Corps Volunteer named Kathryn. My grandma did not host her, but my grandma’s friend did. When I visited my grandma this summer, nearly an hour and a half drive from my house, we visited Kathryn at her host family house to just talk, and a week later my mom asked her if she could tutor me in English so I could keep up with my English language over the summer. Kathryn agreed to tutor me during the summer. She really helped me, and I think that was because Kathryn did not teach like other Moldovan teachers. She made the lessons fun with different activities such as watching English movies, writing a story, making a scavenger hunt, writing a pen pal in America, and much more. She also lets me be creative and make choices in what I do in the assignments she gives to me. I have noticed that with Kathryn being by my side and encouraging me yet letting me make my own choices, I feel more confident in not only being able to speak English better but also in myself.

Arina’s story was submitted as an entry in "Tales of Transformation," a Peace Corps Week 2025 storytelling contest that showcases the changes individuals and communities can experience when the power of human connection is shared worldwide.

Kathryn S., Education Volunteer in Moldova, invited Arina to enter the contest: “I am super proud of Arina for being only 12 years old and having the courage and confidence to try for this competition. She is in class 6 in Moldova (equivalent to grade 6 in the U.S.) and wrote her own story herself. As English is not her native tongue, I think she did quite well tackling this task with no help from me or any adults. She also made a video as part of the competition on her own, with no help from adults. My goal in inviting her to enter this competition was for her to think and problem solve on her own and say what she wants to say without an adult opinion or help. Lastly, I wanted her to have an opportunity to speak and write English. I believe she gained confidence in herself by stepping outside of her comfort zone and is proud of what she accomplished.”