Denver Area Reflections on the Peace Corps
“(Peace Corps) eased my entry into graduate school and a permanent position with the US National Park Service. At first, I worked for the NPS office of International Affairs with responsibilities for the NPS/Peace Corps cooperative agreement and World Heritage Convention. Also, I’ve had numerous international assignments, including responsibility for establishing the National Park of American Samoa.” J. Douglas Cuillard Costa Rica 1970 – 1973 Arvada, CO 80003
“Everything was done as a community, and the community’s priority was to take care of one another. The sense of care and community was extended to me by the people. We spent time learning about (and accepting) our differences and celebrating our similarities.” Heather L Delong Mauritania 2002 – 2005 Aurora, CO 80016
“(My favorite Peace Corps memory was) winning a photo contest and being able to use the cash award to help a school for the blind get recording equipment to record books for the students to listen to.” Steve Werner South Korea 1976 – 1978 Centennial, CO 80112
“My Peace Corps experience gave me the knowledge and experience to walk into a variety of corporate settings (different cultures) and make a huge difference in the development of people within those organizations, (PWC, Coors Brewing, Johns Manville, and CH2M). I learned how to listen to peoples needs and devise programs that addressed those needs. I could not have done it without my prior experience in Peace Corps, Philippines.” Timothy John Keefe Philippines 1960 – 1963 Littleton, CO 80127
Denver Area Reflections on the Peace Corps
“I feel my greatest (Peace Corps ) accomplishment was being a kind-hearted, helpful resident in Kenya for three years and representing the U.S. in that manner, as well as the impact I had in my co-worker’s life as he rose in the ranks of fisheries employees through the support I was able to give him after I returned home.” Jill J. McLemore Kenya 1981 - 1984 Denver, CO 80206
“The Peace Corps is a wonderful idea! It shows that we (Americans) will ’fight’ for/advocate for world peace, understanding, and people exchanges, no matter how difficult these goals are to achieve.” Paul G. Moe, MD Iran 1965 – 1967 Denver, CO 80220
“Among many projects, the most lasting and greatest accomplishment was establishing a tutoring program for the barrio (in Uruguay), taught by college students. Children had been failing first grade up to three times, and within a few weeks we had them reading.” Diana D. Howard, PhD Uruguay 1965 - 1967 Denver, CO 80224
“(Peace Corps is) A chance to get foreign aid to be transformable in the most positive ways, instead of being wasteful.” Rev. Dr. John T. Norris Liberia 1965 – 1967 Denver, CO 80250
Denver Area Reflections on the Peace Corps
“(My favorite Peace Corps memory was) the visit of my American parents to my village; the villagers went out of their way to celebrate their arrival with drums and dancing and singing. They killed a goat in their honor and treated them like royalty. My parents had the opportunity to see our current projects, meet my wonderful family who took such good care of me, meet my village and Peace Corps friends, and have me translate for them in the local dialect. It was such an important part of their understanding what a tremendous lifelong impact those three years in Senegal had on me.” Marion Taylor Senegal 1979 – 1982 Boulder, CO 80301
“(My proudest Peace Corps moment was) Helping build an unsurfaced road in far southern Tanzania.” George Albert Johnson Tanzania 1961-1963 Boulder, CO 80304
“I took my students to the local museum and showed them that they had a rich tradition, and we could incorporate all the native motifs and designs into the things that we printed; for example, mother of pearl inlay on sculptures, shell jewelry, combs, canoes, and baskets. I also taught some photography. We printed two calendars rich with native designs and photos in 1973.” David Harvey Wellman Solomon Islands 1971 – 1973 Boulder, CO 80305
Denver Area Reflections on the Peace Corps
“I constructed 37 water wells in small villages in Senegal, West Africa...I got funds from Oxfam for materials and tools, and attended a water well construction and other rural construction training session...I brought those skills back to the Kedougou region, and trained six well constructors that helped me construct the water well. For my second tour of duty, I was in a village in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. That region had an established water well program and I was able to complete 36 water wells in different villages …The training I received in Senegal resulted in over 200 people with the skills and knowledge to dig more water wells and also maintain the wells.” Ronald Judkoff Senegal 1971 - 1972; Burkino Faso 1972 - 1973 Golden, CO 80401
“Peace Corps changed the direction of my life. It became the basis for a life devoted to public service and public policy, which I have continued to follow in the past 50 years.” Rev. Dr. Patricia Waak Brazil 1966 – 1968 Erie, CO 80516
