Interview with Boyd Npho Hayes, July 6, 2016

Interview Summary

Boyd Npho Hayes was born in 1993 in Johannesburg, South Africa to American parents who were then living in Botswana. He began school in Maun, Botswana but the family moved to Zimbabwe where he attended Hillcrest Prep School for classes 3, 4, and 5. The family returned to Kentucky where he continued fifth grade and attended middle and high school in Jessamine County. He describes considerable difficulty with making the cultural and school transitions in Botswana, Zimbabwe and the U.S. He describes how adjustment to the University of Kentucky was eased by friendships with African students with whom he found cultural commonalities and an understanding of being different and a lifelong struggle over cultural identity ("Am I African or American?"). He describes the personal and professional growth afforded by two summer journalism internships in Cape Town South Africa. He talks about his motivation for joining the U.S. Peace Corps and his anticipated assignment to Senegal in September 2016. While he identifies as American he also sees himself as a citizen of the world and anticipates relocating to southern Africa at some future time.

Interview Keyword

Primary school Identity Internships Soccer Maun (Botswana) Mutara Zimbabwe African University Setswana (language) Shona (language) Isizulu (language) Isixhosa (language) Gugeletu (Cape Town community)

Interview LC Subject

South Africa Peace Corps (U.S.). Africa Region Botswana Johannesburg (South Africa)

Interview Rights

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Interview Usage

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