Interview with Alyssa Goya, June 13, 2021

Interview Summary

Alyssa Goya served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in South Africa, July 2016 to May 2018 in the education sector, teaching English as a first additional language to 4th through 7th graders in classrooms of 60-100 students. She served in Magogong, located in the North West Province, and was the only Peace Corps Volunteer in her village. She completed a half dozen secondary projects, including securing a grant for a reliable water system at her school and the creation of a mobile library. Goya was active at the post-level, serving on a work group to improve additional language training and volunteering on the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Her service was marked by two major challenges. She experienced sexual assault, which she believes was not well handled by the post. She provided the post with constructive feedback on how she could have been better supported by staff. In addition, she and the other Peace Corps Volunteers in her province were evacuated due to the political unrest that developed there. She left service a few months early under the status of interrupted service, returning to the U.S. in May 2018. Peace Corps Service was, in many ways, a turning point for Goya. Upon return, she enrolled in and completed a masters’ degree in education at Stanford University, and did a study on the teaching of English as a first additional language, traveling back to South Africa as part of her research. The impact of her sexual assault experience has deeply informed her current work at a university women’s center on helping others deal with trauma, and is the source of personal motivation to next pursue the mental health field professionally. Lastly, she notes the power of the relationships she made in her Peace Corps service and her interest to continue to retain a bond with South Africa, including a commitment to return.

Interview Keyword

South Africa (Country of service) 2016-2018 (Date of service) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Education Regional conflicts English (Language) Safety and security Sexual assault

Interview LC Subject

Peace Corps (U.S.) Peace Corps (U.S.)--South Africa South Africa 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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