Interview with Maxwell Anthony Sines, March 1, 2021

Interview Summary

Maxwell Sines served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Liberia from 2010 to 2012 in the Education Program. Sines’ group, LR1, was the first group to serve in Liberia since the Civil War was recognized in 1990. At age 13, Sines met a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who had served in Nepal who inspired him into a life of service through her stories. From that time, he dedicated himself to becoming a volunteer for peace. A Peace Corps recruiter at the University of California, San Diego helped prepare him for applying to Peace Corps. Sines’ group landed in Monrovia, Liberia and then traveled to Kakata for training, where he stayed with a host family. Training included an introduction to Liberian English, the Gio dialect, and Liberian culture, as well as stoic advice from the wise RPCV. Sines’ assignment was in Tappita, Nimba County. He taught physics to high school students, many of whom were adults returning to school after the disruption caused by civil wars. The interview discusses motivation for volunteering; training; living conditions; relationships with students, local counterparts, and fellow volunteers; Peace Corps' impact; and continued connection with Peace Corps.

Interview Keyword

Liberia (Country of service) 2010-2012 (Date of service) LR1 (Training cohort) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Education Peace Corps recruiters Peace Corps (U.S.)--2010-2020 Regional conflicts Gio (Language) Kakata (Liberia) Tappita (Liberia) Nimba County (Liberia) University of California, San Diego Civil wars Arusha Project Friends of Liberia

Interview LC Subject

Peace Corps (U.S.) Peace Corps (U.S.)--Liberia Liberia Acculturation Communication and culture Culture Culture shock Intercultural communication Interpersonal communication and culture Interpersonal relations Interpersonal relations and culture Language and culture Language and languages Lifestyles Manners and customs Voluntarism Volunteers

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Interview Usage

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