In this interview, you’ll hear from Teresa Cruz, a Peace Corps Youth Development volunteer in Panama. Teresa shares what daily life looks like, the work being done, and how service has shaped their personal and professional growth. You’ll learn about housing, cultural differences, project work, language learning, and what it’s like to live and work in a new country. This interview offers a real look into Peace Corps service and what future volunteers can expect.
Table of Contents
- Volunteer Experience and Motivation
- Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
- Surprises and Challenges
- Advice and Support
- Practical Tips and Language Learning
- Social Identity
- Impact of Media and Final Thoughts
Volunteer Experience and Motivation
1. What do you do as a Peace Corps Youth Development volunteer in Panama?
As a Youth Development Volunteer, my days are split between the community and the local high school. While at the high school, I work closely with a school counselor, co-teaching classes to high school seniors. Class topics with the school counselor consist of life planning for after high school, instilling values, and personal development. As a YLD volunteer, my focus is on teaching life skills, employability skills, community engagement, and supporting service providers. I work as a support to the school in all things Youth Leadership. My role is to take what we learn in the classroom and make hands-on, dynamic projects for the students to take the information beyond the classroom.
In the community, I often spend time running around the park with kids, drawing, dancing, and just having fun, dropping seeds of wisdom between casual everyday activities. Sometimes it looks like talking about taking care of the planet, other times it means teaching them values such as being kind. As a YLD volunteer, my job is to instill confidence and teach youth how to dream.
2. Why did you decide to join the Peace Corps and serve in Panama?
I knew nothing about the Peace Corps before deciding to apply. It was briefly mentioned in a book I had read the summer I applied. I was finishing college with a degree in Psychology and wasn’t really sure what would come next. I tend to be that way. So I did a quick scan of the Peace Corps website, and something just called me to serve. I applied that same weekend.
Why Panama? I am Dominican-American, and I knew I wanted something similar to the culture I had grown up in, but felt removed from living in the US. Panama is rich and diverse in culture, much like my parents’ home country, the Dominican Republic. I wanted to improve my Spanish and get a taste of life in Latin America. I have no regrets about choosing Panama. This country has given me much more than I ever expected, and even more than I can ever give back.
Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
3. What is your housing like in Panama?
I live in a semi-urban/rural town here with a population of about 3,000 people. When I arrived, I lived with a host family that consisted of my host mom, dad, and little brother. I lived here for four months, getting familiar with a new community, meeting new people, and learning a new way of life. My host family was vital to my integration in the community. I ate what they ate, went where they went, and lived as one of them.
I now live in my own house, which has also helped me with integration in another way; it shifts the initiative onto me to take what I learned with a host family and apply it to my community. Now I am going on walks by myself, cooking food for myself, and integrating on my own terms. Living on my own gave me a sense of agency that you tend to lose with a host family. It has allowed me to create my own schedules and routine and given me the space to practice self-care and value my time alone.
4. What moments or interactions stand out during your service?
The moments that stand out to me during service are the small things, such as the way the community grows to love you. I can go out for a walk or on the way to run errands and be greeted by passerby. The way they sing my name is a melody I will never forget. They smile and nod, or run up to me with arms wide open, ready to embrace me with a hug, which to me is unforgettable. They begin to learn your habits and your quirks, which reminds me that I am known and loved by them. I came here a stranger and will be leaving as a member of the family.
Surprises and Challenges
5. What has surprised you most about living or working in Panama?
I feel I am often surprised at how quickly we as humans are to adapt to new circumstances. I grew up in a city and am now living in a rural small community; the difference is night and day. I learned how to wash my clothes in the way they do, how to reserve water for when it inevitably goes out, how to cook with foods that grow in my yard; these are all experiences the city life never gave me.
When it comes to working in Panama, I am often surprised at how quickly things can get done while I think nothing is happening. It taught me to trust that my counterparts are working hard to get stuff done, whether it’s how I expect or not.
6. What challenges have you faced in your Youth Development work, and how did you respond?
Youth development seems to be a widespread initiative from the Panamanian government, which makes my position widely accepted. The issue sometimes is explaining what youth development looks like; it can often be intangible, making it harder to explain that we are planting seeds that need time to bring forth fruit. The parents and adults admire the work of Youth Development, but battle cultural norms that may impede its success.
An example of this is hierarchy and respect for elders, a common value that often undermines youth, leaving them voiceless. That was a surprise I encountered, finding myself being the advocate for youth and trying to uplift them and encourage them to build confidence in a culture that may dampen their abilities to do so. Cycles are hard to break, and ultimately, it is the job of the interested locals to make the work sustainable. I am often explaining that I am not here with a solution to a problem, but rather a guide to think creatively and find solutions.
7. What secondary projects have you worked on during your service?
My secondary projects include helping with English language learning in various ways. I hosted an English crash course over the summer, which drew in around 70 kids ages 6-17. Sometimes it is as simple as helping with English homework at the school, or speaking English so that they can be familiar with how it sounds. Though I have no background in teaching or the English language, for that matter, being bilingual is a skill they admire. It can be hard at times, but I am often researching ways to make English fun.
Advice and Support
8. What advice would you give to future Youth Development volunteers in Panama?
You are a PC volunteer; two-thirds of your job is the cultural exchange. Find comfort in the discomfort, lean not on your own strengths, and trust your community to guide you. Youth development is what you make it. We are here to instill confidence and teach kids how to dream and trust their dreams. Have fun with it, laugh at the mistakes you make along the way, don’t take yourself too seriously, and remember you are a volunteer, make time for yourself as well as the community. Kids are like sponges; make sure to model what you want them to mimic. You are cut out for this!
Practical Tips and Language Learning
9. What would you tell future volunteers to pack—or leave behind?
Pack what makes you feel confident! When packing, we like to think of the person we might become and pack all these unnecessary things that end up not being used. The packing list is a suggestion, not a rule. You will want lightweight clothes, comfortable clothes, and some fun dressing-up clothes. Don’t worry about what you didn’t pack; you can always pick things up along the way (you will definitely pick things up along the way).
10. How has language learning been for you in Panama?
I grew up Dominican-American, so Spanish was spoken in my house daily. I personally didn’t practice often until coming here, so there are many things I struggle with grammatically. The way I found to learn best is by listening to Spanish-speaking videos, paying attention to how slang is used, and also just practicing with community members. Eventually, you pick up on their expressions and begin to use them yourself. My one tip is to let yourself be corrected, laugh at your mistakes, and keep learning.
Social Identity
11. How has your personal identity shaped your service experience?
Panama is a very religious country; it is intertwined in their language, their celebrations, and just in their everyday life. I grew up Catholic but lost my faith somewhere along the way. Moving here has brought me right back home to that. I initially started going to church to meet community members, but it quickly became something I looked forward to. I see how my faith has grown stronger since being here and am grateful for this experience.
In other aspects of my identity, I have become very introspective. It has brought me so much closer to my Latina roots, allowing me to connect with my parents on their upbringing, which isn’t far from the reality I am now living.
As for gender or age, I never thought much about it, but being here, I quickly realize I am often the youngest in a room of professionals, I am trusted to speak on various topics, and share my experience. It has been an adjustment, and I would be lying if I said it was easy.
12. Did your identity lead to specific challenges or situations?
One challenge I have faced as a female volunteer is unwanted attention from men. Machismo is a struggle for many women, local or visiting. It has been a battle at times, making my voice heard and respected without the occasional catcall or unprovoked innuendos. I set boundaries and make it known when I am uncomfortable. At times, the only way to combat it is by being assertive or responding with phrases like “I don’t find that funny,” or “That was inappropriate.” It may affect how they perceive me, but I will not laugh at the expense of my safety.
13. What advice do you have for volunteers who share your identity?
My advice for anyone who shares my identity or not is to stay true to who you are. Be open to what the experience brings you; it should transform you, but not at the cost of yourself. It is easy to lose yourself trying to accommodate others, but practicing the things that make you who you are will ground you.
As a Catholic Latina, these are parts of my identity no one can take away, so I will wear them with pride. Sometimes we get lost in who we think people want us to be, but the only person they need is the truest version of you.
Impact of Media and Final Thoughts
14. If you share content online, how has that shaped your service?
I have a YouTube channel and an Instagram called the Here Now Project. It started just a couple of months before I left for service. It has shaped my service in a way that allows me to share my experience with all who are inclined to follow. It has also grown into something far beyond my service, thanks to my service. Being here has taught me that some things just do not change, no matter where you are in the world, and that is due to our human nature. I try to document the human experience through digital media.
15. What final advice or thoughts would you share with future volunteers?
Volunteering has restored my faith in humanity. If you have it in you to serve, do it!! It will not only impact those you work with, but it will also change you in ways you cannot even imagine. Stay curious as a volunteer and remember you are a student of this world. To serve is such a selfless act, but remember to take care of yourself!
Are you thinking about joining the Peace Corps? If you’re curious about service and ready for something new, apply today. Like Teresa, you can live abroad, work with communities, and grow in ways you didn’t expect. Apply to the Peace Corps and take the next step.
The content of this post does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government, the Pece Corps, or Panama Government.
