In this interview, you’ll hear from Benjamin Hudock, a Peace Corps Education volunteer in Ecuador. Benjamin 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
- Final Thoughts
Volunteer Experience and Motivation
1. What do you do as a Peace Corps Education volunteer in Ecuador?
My primary project is to improve the quality of the English program at the Superior Polytechnical School of Chimborazo (ESPOCH), a university located in the central sierra city of Riobamba. That can take many forms, from co-teaching English classes for first- through fourth-semester students in the College of Natural Resources to running a series of cultural events about the United States in Spanish to conducting pedagogical communities of practice with my counterparts.
Some of my favorite initiatives have been ones only tangentially related to the learning of English. For instance, together with my old counterpart (I had a site change), we have been offering soft skills sessions to students who really want it and need it. We do interview preparation, talk about resumes and networking, share strategies for public speaking, and overall fill in the gaps left behind by their formal education. Another regular occurrence for me is mini-courses that I facilitate for non-English professors. During these, I focus on how and why to learn a language, any language, and guide them through resources rather than lessons.
As far as the Third Goal is concerned (that Americans better understand Ecuador), I enjoy perusing the Global Classrooms forum monthly and snagging opportunities from there. Global Classrooms connects Peace Corps Volunteers to classrooms in the United States. I have formed one-off and recurring partnerships with high schools and universities in Pennsylvania, my home state, to present on themes as diverse as Ecuadorian ecology and performing field work in-country.
2. Why did you decide to join the Peace Corps and serve in Ecuador?
Prior to the Peace Corps, I was a 2023 Fulbright English Teaching Assistant to Brazil, working at the Regional University of the Cariri in sunny Crato, Ceará. On the tail end of my lunch breaks, I would often grab a din-din (Brazilian ice pop) and settle down for a few minutes of podcast listening before heading back to class. My favorite soap opera quickly became the My Peace Corps Story series, in which host Tyler Lloyd interviews various Peace Corps Volunteers and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers about their service across different decades and milieus. Mostly, I just enjoyed hearing about life in faraway places, and all the challenges it encapsulates.
As my Fulbright year marched on, I remember sitting on my couch in the sweltering desert heat one morning thinking about what came next. Although I had studied chemical engineering in college, I had always had an interest in teaching English, and had done so since 2018, when I first started volunteering with Literacy Pittsburgh, an NGO. I was loving my job at the Brazilian university so much that I began to contemplate a pivot from engineering to education. Still, just 10 months in Brazil was not enough to make such a life-altering decision. I needed more time, and I wanted to teach in a different place to see if I could extricate a love for teaching from a love for Brazil.
On the Peace Corps application, they gave the chance to indicate regional and sector preferences, as well as to state which of three factors was most important to me: when to go, where to go, or what to do. I chose the first option, since I knew that if I was going to do this Peace Corps thing, it would have to be right after Brazil, or else I might become entangled too irreversibly in full-time job searching. I think I also overestimated the competitiveness of the Peace Corps post-pandemic, indicating that I preferred to work in education in either South America or Central Asia, but that I would also be willing to serve where needed most.
Shortly after submitting my application, I learned I was under consideration for the TEFL position in Ecuador, which I chalk up to having the name of the country on my resume, owing to a project I had worked on in university with Engineers Without Borders. Looking back, I wish I had applied to a position directly. If you know what you want and what you can offer, I see no problem with that.
Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
3. What is your housing like in Ecuador?
In 10 months, I navigated four different living situations. First, there was the host family I lived with during the two months of Pre-Service Training. Second, I lived with a host mother and her friend in Coca, in the Amazon, for five months. When I was evacuated from my original site, I spent two months with a host family in Riobamba, and now I live on my own.
It was a long journey to get here, and it is still not ideal (my surroundings are noisy!), but staying in the same place for over a year now has been much better for me than the constant moving around. By Peace Corps standards, I live in a palace. Two bedrooms, one of which I use as an office. A bathroom with a toilet, running water, and an electric shower. A kitchen which is honestly nicer than any I have had in the US. Queen-sized bed, 800 Mbps Wi-Fi, a washing machine, you get the idea. Most Ecuador volunteers who have moved out are in a similarly nice situation. Some even have apartments that make me jealous.
TEFL volunteers in Ecuador tend to be in cities. There are six volunteers in Riobamba currently. I am a 25-minute walk from work and a less-than-25-minute bus ride from most any other point of interest, from the supermarket to the bank to the main avenue with restaurants.
The biggest thing to realize with host families is that a lot of them are not actual families, and that can be a good thing. Out of the four places I have lived in Ecuador, my favorite was with my single host mom in Coca. She was quiet and organized, a cat person, and is someone I still love to visit. The families can be a lot in terms of things like personal space and eating habits. If you have a great one, it can be a huge asset, especially when it comes to integration and regular social interaction. If not, I recommend moving out.
4. What moments or interactions stand out during your service?
Most of the moments that stand out to me from 21 months of service so far occurred during the 5 months I spent at my original site of Coca in the Amazon region.
Global Big Day is the world’s largest bird-counting event. On May 11th, 2024, more than 66,000 birdwatchers from all seven continents observed a total of 7,778 species within a single 24-hour period. I was fortunate enough to take part in one of the routes being run around my site. The previous day, I had attended an Introduction to Birdwatching workshop at the Botanical Garden of Coca on a whim, and was invited back the following morning for a grueling 4:00 am departure time.
After walking up and down the nearby forest with an experienced guide from the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve, we managed to record, photograph, and identify 84 different species, including red toucans and blue macaws. Everyone had fun comparing the names of birds in English and Spanish! This was also an important event for me, integration-wise, as it led to several new connections with students and professors at my host institution and at the botanical garden.
As a result of the friendships I made on Global Big Day, I later attended a midnight amphibian spotting with master’s researchers at my university. To see such vibrant green colors on teeny-tiny frogs was all the more rewarding after having to chase them down in a delirious trudge through the jungle.
Surprises and Challenges
5. What has surprised you most about living or working in Ecuador?
The first thing that comes to mind, as almost any Ecuador PCV will tell you, is the importance of greetings for a smooth day-to-day. In Ecuador, when someone shows up late to a work meeting, they greet the room, loudly declaring their presence. Students will individually ask for permission to enter a classroom and expect the teacher to say “Good morning” along with a gesture ushering them indoors. When walking into a teacher’s lounge, it is important to walk up to each individual and shake hands or give an air kiss on the cheek. Parents can be overheard chastising their children publicly if they fail to acknowledge anyone who comes within a 10-foot radius (“Por qué no saluda, mijo?”).
It goes without saying, but it is worth repeating that the sun is strong here. I mean putting-on-sunscreen-when-it-is-9-am-and-cloudy kind of strong. I rarely, if ever, leave the house without some combination of sunscreen, umbrella, and sunglasses, though the best strategy is simply to cover up if you do not wish your skin to age 10 years in two.
Oddly enough, for as strong as the sun is, something I was not prepared for in coming here was the lack of sunlight and the accompanying seasonal depression I would face. Coming from Pittsburgh, one of the cloudiest cities in the US, I can confidently say that Riobamba is at least twice as intense with respect to the doom and gloom. Seeing as how the Ecuadorian climate has minimal month-to-month variation, so-called “seasonal” affective disorder risks becoming year-round. I take Vitamin D pills, and even so, sometimes feel a lack of motivation.
Ecuador is a relatively small country—about the size of Colorado, with a population of 18 million—and many aspects of daily life are fairly standardized across regions. Whether you’re on the coast, in the Sierra, or in the Amazon, you’ll likely notice the same popular beer (Pilsener), similar blue city buses with a shared interior design, and a TuTi grocery store in most well-populated neighborhoods. This consistency can be convenient when you find products you enjoy, though it can also make it a bit challenging if you’re looking for a wider variety of options.
6. What challenges have you faced in your Education work, and how did you respond?
Ecuador can be a challenging place to teach English, particularly in public higher education. Even in some fourth-semester English classes, many students are still developing skills below an A1 level. There are a number of reasons for this, many of which are systemic and outside a volunteer’s sphere of influence. For example, some English teachers themselves have limited opportunities for sustained language training, and the vast majority entered the field through structural needs rather than personal interest. The broader educational system also places strong emphasis on certifications, compliance, and institutional metrics, which can sometimes overshadow day-to-day language use and communicative practice.
A widespread emphasis on copying from the board, rather than engaging in analytical or communicative tasks, can also make it difficult to encourage students to synthesize information and take risks using English. This contributes to a general lack of confidence and interest when it comes to learning foreign languages. Ecuador’s geographical and linguistic context has historically fostered a strong sense of local identity, and many students have limited exposure to English-speaking environments or international content.
One final challenge, which is significant in that it compounds all the others, is the tendency for schedules and timetables to change quickly. As a volunteer accustomed to planning well in advance, it took time to adjust to last-minute cancellations and shifting priorities. Last semester, for example, a significant portion of my scheduled classes (~70%) were cancelled with limited notice due to holidays, institutional events, or local activities such as soccer games and beauty pageants. English is often the first item to be postponed when competing responsibilities arise.
Combating these challenges is tough and something I am still struggling to learn how to do. The best way I have found is to lean into what works, avoid what does not, and constantly improve in the local language for ease of doing business. For me, this means doubling down on side projects such as research and international student outreach while being strategic about how I use my classroom hours.
Although not all students and professors are ready for fully immersive English lessons or for the level at which having a native speaker is most advantageous, I have found that meeting students where they are (in Spanish) can have a meaningful long-term influence. My goal has been to strengthen the cultural and strategic dimensions of language learning, which are often absent from the formal curriculum.
Advice and Support
7. What advice would you give to future Education volunteers in Ecuador?
My advice for future TEFL volunteers in Ecuador is not to come in with any pre-conceived notions or ideas for projects. The needs of your host community must naturally assume center stage if any endeavor is to have a shot at success. Along with that comes the advice to find your people. What I mean by that is the people who will go to bat for you, push paperwork, get directors on the phone, and offer continuous support throughout. That may or may not be your primary counterpart. That may or may not be anyone at your host organization.
Seemingly counter to what I have just said, stand up for yourself, and what you know you can contribute. For as much as your community may wish for a garden to combat childhood malnutrition, if you have no interest or experience in gardening, that project should not fall on your shoulders. There is a zone of proximal development wherein we challenge ourselves to try out and maybe fail in new ventures, but every effort has an opportunity cost.
8. How did Peace Corps training prepare you for service?
The Peace Corps training prepared me wonderfully for service. There was dedicated time for language and culture, safety and security, and project-specific sessions. We learned about how to negotiate rent with host families, what to do in the event of a volcanic eruption, and how to plan a no-frills language lesson. Even if you have never taught English before, the training will give you the basics necessary to think like a teacher.
Of course, it helps to have previous experience, as lesson planning takes much less time, and the subjective sense of ease within the classroom is enhanced. Peace Corps Ecuador sends some volunteers with experience and/or a master’s degree to teach at universities. That said, anyone with a college degree and a strong desire to teach English is more than qualified for the remainder of volunteer placements in my opinion.
Practical Tips and Language Learning
9. What would you tell future volunteers to pack—or leave behind?
I made a video about this topic previously for the official Peace Corps Ecuador Instagram account. It is pinned as of December 2025 alongside a video made by another member of my cohort discussing specific packing items for female volunteers.
In general, goods are expensive in Ecuador while services are cheap. That means most physical items you can buy cheaper and of better quality at a retailer in the United States than you will be able to find in Ecuador. High-quality specialty items (such as a waterproof rain jacket) may be impossible to find or cost up to three times as much here. The most surprisingly expensive items in Ecuador are clothes and books. Do not plan on buying a lot of clothing upon arrival. Instead, pack for Quito weather, and if you are assigned a site in the Amazon, break the bank a little bit to buy a few select breathable items at the mall.
The one thing every Peace Corps Ecuador volunteer should have is an ultrasonic dog repeller. Everyone I have talked to is jealous of mine, and many of those same people have had someone in the United States bring them one on a visit.
Something to note is that Ecuador does not have a postal system, meaning the only way to receive items from the US, aside from going there in person or receiving them from a visitor, is to ship through DHL. It is quite expensive and takes 3-9 months, if it ever arrives at all. Do yourself a favor and bring everything you need to feel comfortable for two years.
10. How has language learning been for you in Ecuador?
The main language in Ecuador is Spanish. Kichwa is also widely spoken in the Andes region, but no volunteers are placed at present in a primarily Kichwa-speaking site.
For me, the language learning aspect of Pre-Service Training was one less thing to worry about, since I entered training at an advanced level. My score on the language exam went up by swearing-in, and I assume it has continued to increase since then.
I understand they have now eliminated the language requirement for Ecuador, but Spanish is something one can absolutely study on one’s own before coming here. I recommend at least a low-intermediate level before touching down to make the most efficient linguistic gains from the immersion that comes with living in-country. Even as a TEFL volunteer, I speak Spanish most of the time, so there really is no upper limit to how proficient you can become and the benefits you will reap from doing so.
Social Identity
11. How has your personal identity shaped your service experience?
Something that did not receive a lot of attention during training, but which profoundly shapes the experience of half of Peace Corps Ecuador volunteers, is the set of expectations that arise by virtue of being male (ex. machismo). This is not to discount the many challenges faced by female volunteers, but to recognize in its own right that male volunteers face other particular barriers to integration.
At my university, for example, there are around 40 English teachers, with only two or three being men. The field of English teaching in Ecuador is predominantly female. While I am personally comfortable collaborating with colleagues of any gender, I have at times sensed hesitation from some female teachers. My impression is that this may stem from concerns about how close professional relationships between men and women might be perceived by others, particularly in smaller communities where gossip and speculation are common. Because most of the colleagues available to partner with are women, this dynamic has occasionally limited the ease with which I can collaborate on my primary project.
In terms of host family life and broader community integration, being male has also presented difficulties. There is often a strong expectation that men will participate in social drinking, and in some communities, this plays a central role in forming friendships. For volunteers who do not drink or prefer to limit drinking, building relationships with men can be more complicated. In addition, some of my personal interests, such as cooking, are sometimes perceived locally as more feminine activities. Combined with the social norms governing interactions between men and women, this can create additional barriers to connecting over shared hobbies. Many types of male figures that are present in the United States are not accepted in Ecuador.
Final Thoughts
12. What final advice would you share with future volunteers?
The volunteers who tend to feel most at home in Ecuador are usually those who enjoy hiking, the outdoors, learning and practicing Spanish, and embracing a lifestyle that values presence and flexibility over steady progress toward a fixed goal. While I myself have experienced a degree of cultural mismatch that marks Ecuador as decidedly not the place for me, that has no bearing on whether it will be the right decision for you.
I encourage you to interpret my experience as one among many. Reach out to current and former volunteers—LinkedIn is a great place to start—and consider posting your specific questions on the r/peacecorps subreddit. Other Peace Corps Ecuador volunteers and I are always happy to share the one thing we have in abundance: perspective.
Are you thinking about joining the Peace Corps? If you’re curious about service and ready for something new, apply today. Like Benjamin, 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 Peace Corps, or Ecuador Government.
