John M.

1. What got you interested in the Peace Corps?

Before joining the Peace Corps, I was working as a business consultant. While I was developing a lot of useful skills, I didn’t feel like the work I was doing was having a meaningful positive impact in the world. That was something I wanted to change, so I started researching other opportunities while taking the bus home from the office. One day, while sitting in traffic, I stumbled upon the Peace Corps page. After reading about the different program options, I got really excited about the possibility of doing something more meaningful while also traveling abroad and gaining exposure to a new culture. After a few weeks of research, I decided to apply.

2. What projects are you working on?

I teach English at a village school in the Kyrgyz Republic. I teach around 24 hours a week and hold supplemental English clubs after school for students who are interested. I have the privilege of working closely with four local English teachers, and we conduct all our lessons together. We’re currently focused on implementing communicative teaching methodologies and integrating technology into the classroom.

In my spare time, I also work with the school administration to write grants to support our work. To date, we’ve secured new textbooks to support communicative methodologies and we’ve opened a computer-based language lab to help students develop their listening and speaking skills.

3. What strategies have you used to integrate into your community?

I have been working really hard on the local language. I’m not a gifted language learner, but by working really hard during pre-service training and devoting time to language learning every day, I have developed passable Kyrgyz. It isn’t a language that foreigners usually learn, so doing my best to speak it has opened many doors for me and helped me gain respect in the community.

I’ve also integrated by pushing myself outside my comfort zone and trying new things. I’m an introvert at heart, but public speaking and singing are a really important part of the local culture. With this in mind, I’ve done my best to participate whenever I can. The results are rarely stellar, but the effort is always appreciated.

4. What is a highlight of your time in service so far?

There have been two really big highlights for me. I served in the Kyrgyz Republic before the pandemic and was evacuated in March 2020. I didn’t think I’d ever get the chance to go back and finish what I started. Having a chance to come back after the pandemic, to both my host family and school, has made me appreciate many aspects of the experience so much more.

My second highlight was attending my host brother’s wedding. I attended the wedding party at their future in-laws’ house, which isn’t something a foreigner would usually get to see. It was an amazing cultural experience and I was deeply honored to be included.

5. What have you enjoyed most about the community where you are serving?

There are a lot of great things about my community, but the best is the amazing hospitality they have shown me for the entirety of my service. There are a few examples that will stick with me for a long time. I usually run in the village to stay in shape and clear my mind. This summer, when I was running, people stopped me multiple times to offer me kymyz (a local drink made from fermented mare’s milk). Another time, a man stopped me and gave me a freshly caught fish to take home to my host family. Kids still ask me why I was running through the village carrying a fish.

6. What are some of the most important things you’ve learned from your community?

My community has taught me a lot about priorities and what really matters in life. In the U.S., I was very career oriented, and I prioritized work over almost anything else in my life. In my community, family always comes first and work responsibilities are secondary. While this was difficult for me at first, the longer I’ve been here, the more I’ve gotten the sense that my priorities back home were out of order. Life is short and we never know what is next or how long we have left, so I think there is a lot of value in taking time for family, friends, and the community in both good times and bad. I don’t think I would have learned this lesson back home.

7. How do you spend time when you are not working on a project?

I honestly don’t have a lot of free time since my project doesn’t have an end date. When I do have time outside of work, I like to spend it running and travelling. Running helps me keep my mind and body healthy, and it has also proved to be a great way to get out in the community and meet people. As for traveling, Kyrgyzstan is a beautiful country and I’m doing my best to see as much of it as I can before my time here comes to an end.

8. What are you looking forward to in your remaining time as a Volunteer?

When I was evacuated due to the pandemic, I didn’t have a chance to leave my site with any sense of closure. Everything was very rushed, and the global health crisis overshadowed pretty much everything else that was going on. With that in mind, I’m looking forward to the chance to leave my site with time to get a proper sense of closure. From a professional standpoint, this means making sure all my projects are organized and set up for success after I leave. But, more importantly, from a personal standpoint, I’m really looking forward to the chance to say real goodbyes to everyone in my community and tell everyone what they mean to me.

9. Once you finish your service, what will you do differently when you return to the U.S.?

My community has taught me a lot about priorities in life, and when I return home, I want to do a better job of carving out time for the people I care about. I also want to continue looking for opportunities to do work that focuses on creating some kind of positive impact in the world. Finally, I am going to be more confident and take more personal and professional risks. During my service, I’ve done a lot of things I didn’t think I could do. I’ve learned that I’m a capable person with a lot to offer and that isn’t something I want to forget anytime soon.

Want to learn more about serving in the Kyrgyz Republic? Connect with a recruiter today.