Interview with Isabel Gross, May 28, 2021

Interview Summary

Isabel Gross served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala from 2018 to 2020 in the Rural Extension Project. Gross met many Returned Peace Corps Volunteers while growing up. She had a desire to travel and serve others from an early age. Her travels prior to Peace Corps included volunteering in Colombia and studying in Chile. She studied Spanish and anthropology at Haverford College. Gross’s group trained in Magdalena Milpas Altas, near Antigua, where she stayed with a host family. Gross was assigned to the town of Nebaj, El Quiché, to work with Rural Extension Teams under the Ministry of Agriculture. Her job was to help agronomists improve their teaching techniques. Eventually, she worked independently, directly with local community agriculture groups. In Nebaj she lived with a host family who were indigenous Ixil Mayans. Shortly before the end of her tour, Peace Corps evacuated all volunteers due to COVID-19. The interview discusses Gross’s motivation for volunteering; training; experiences living and working in Guatemala; her experiences as a woman and a member of the LGBTQ+ community; and her views on Peace Corps service.

Interview Keyword

Guatemala (Country of service) 2018-2020 (Date of service) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Rural Extension Project COVID-19 (Disease) Evacuated Peace Corps Volunteer (EPCV) Spanish (Language) Peace Corps (U.S.)--2010-2020 LGBTQ+ community Haverford College Magdalena Milpas Altas (Guatemala) Antigua (Guatemala) Nebaj, El Quiché (Guatemala) Rural Extension Teams Ixil Mayans LGBTQ+ volunteers

Interview LC Subject

Peace Corps (U.S.) Peace Corps (U.S.)--Guatemala Guatemala 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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