In this interview, you’ll hear from Sophia Meyer, a Peace Corps Education volunteer in Grenada (Eastern Caribbean). Sophia 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 Education volunteer in Grenada?
My days generally have a few key activities scheduled, but the rest of my workday is entirely flexible, and I go where I am needed most. Most mornings I open the library and start setting up for my small groups. Depending on the day, it can be students from Grade 2 to Grade 5. I then circulate to different classes to offer support, conduct reading assessments, and run library time. My day wraps up with music class or reconciling the library records. Every day has its unique moments and challenges, so in a lot of ways no two days are the same for me.
2. Why did you decide to join the Peace Corps and serve in Grenada?
I studied abroad as part of an experiential learning program in South Africa and Mozambique as an undergrad and enjoyed the experience of living and working abroad. As my family says, getting more experience, especially through serving others, is a great way to gain “seasoning”. As for why Grenada, I studied the Caribbean extensively in university, so applying to the Eastern Caribbean post was a no-brainer. My countries of study were Haiti and Grenada, so getting matched with a post in Grenada was meant to be!
Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
3. What is your housing like in Grenada?
I live independently in a small 2-bedroom, 1-bath flat in a rural farming community. I don’t have things like A/C or hot water, and my running water and internet access are intermittent, but my home is very comfortable.
Grenada is only 21 miles long and 12 miles wide, so everything is within a 2 to 2.5-hour drive by public bus from my house. I’m lucky that in my village I have ample access to fresh produce; pretty much anything you can think of I have the ability to buy locally including breadfruit, bluggoe (dwarf banana), mango, guava, oranges, cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.. Meat is a little harder to get, so I buy it in bulk in the capital, St. George’s, and freeze it in portions to last the month. I really enjoy living where I do; it is quiet, peaceful, and I’m surrounded by gorgeous nature all the time!
4. What moments or interactions stand out during your service?
Oh gosh. Too many to count, but there are a few that stand out for me at the moment. The big one is working one-on-one intensively every day with a student who was unable to identify most letters as a Grade 2 student. She was uninterested in learning, quiet, and struggled to keep up with lessons being taught in her larger class. She was a keen learner who just needed some extra help and focus from a teacher to help get her caught up. In just 6 months, she went from reading below a pre-school level to being at grade level. Now she is in Grade 3, reading a year or two ahead of her class. She is a voracious reader and is always excited to check out books in the library. Watching her succeed AND being excited to learn is so incredibly satisfying.
Surprises and Challenges
5. What has surprised you most about living or working in Grenada?
I think the traditional ways of teaching and learning honestly surprised me the most. A lot of the teaching, classroom management, and administrative methods feel very old-school. Most of them are, since a lot of them date back to the colonial era here, which only ended 52 years ago. Having attended school through the introduction of technology like TVs and SmartBoards, computer labs, and tablets in education, it presents a distinct dichotomy when looking at my own educational experience.
A secondary surprise is how I’ve been adopted by so many different families and individuals. I’m Tanty Sophie or Cousin Sophia to so many different people. Family isn’t about blood here; it’s about the bonds made with each other. Most everyone has been so willing to bring me into their lives, making me a part of their extended family despite being an “outsider” in their community.
6. What challenges have you faced in your Education work, and how did you respond?
Teacher buy-in has been a challenge. A lot of teachers are open to working with me on a variety of projects at first contact but following through on projects is challenging and getting ideas off the ground is hit-or-miss. The indirectness of communication is a compounding factor, since outright disagreeing or saying no is rare and things just fizzle out instead. Having been here for more than a year and a half, I learned that working with those who are actually interested in it is key. Working with whom you can and getting things off the ground is more important than trying to win over individuals who are disinterested. With my key stakeholders, our projects have seen significant success over the last year. I’ve been able to be more productive with my new approach to finding stakeholders, it just took some time to learn it!
7. What secondary projects have you worked on during your service?
I’m a scuba diver and am invested in the marine ecosystem here, so I wanted to introduce the underwater world to my students. I’ve actually been able to partner with local dive/snorkel shops here on the island to get my students more access to swim lessons, snorkel/swimming gear, and, in some cases, students have been able to attend snorkel trips with me on the weekend. My students have been able to go on a boat for the first time, learn to swim, and become more involved in the local conservation movements here!
Advice and Support
8. What advice would you give to future Education volunteers in Grenada?
It can be an adjustment to come here, especially if you haven’t lived overseas or in a radically different environment from what you are in now. The education system and social culture are much different from what they are in the US, so that takes time to navigate and master. Give yourself some grace when adjusting; it’s not an easy thing to do. Say yes to all the experiences you can, but also protect your peace and take care of yourself. If it means that you say no to something, that’s alright. Balance is key to avoid hitting any low points especially hard, since you’ll definitely hit them. The cycle of vulnerability and adjustment is real.
9. How did Peace Corps training prepare you for service?
I do so many small groups, so learning different methods of teaching in that setting was very useful in PST (Pre-Service Training). They also taught us how to use multiple standardized assessment tools, which are a cornerstone of my work. I use them to establish a baseline for my students and then tailor lessons to what I have learned and observed during those sessions. I also use them in my monitoring and evaluation of my students’ progress.
Practical Tips and Language Learning
10. What would you tell future volunteers to pack—or leave behind?
Pack all your clothes in your bag. Now, get rid of half of them. I wear maybe 6-7 work outfits total on a rotating basis. I pair neutral bottoms and tops so that I only have to bring 5 of each and can make an almost infinite number of different outfits since every piece matches. I wouldn’t bring my own sheets/towels or a rain jacket/umbrella; they are easily bought here for cheap. The things I would absolutely bring are an extra-long phone charger (10ft, at a minimum), nice sunscreen if you’re going somewhere warm and sunny (Caribbean sunburns are no joke), PICARIDIN bug repellent (not DEET!!), and an e-reader/library card for eBooks. My Kindle gets daily use and comes with me on bus rides!
Honorable mention: Costco/Sam’s Club/BJs sells 2lbs of taco seasoning in a big bottle for $5-7. Absolutely worth it, in all its giant ridiculousness. Any meat, beans, rice, or veggies can be seasoned with it and serve as a reminder of home.
11. How has language learning been for you in Grenada?
We only find out what country we are being sent to in the Eastern Caribbean during PST, so there wasn’t an opportunity to study beforehand. Grenada speaks an English Creole that is reminiscent of Jamaican Patois, so much of the vocabulary is shared with the English language. In that respect, it was easy to learn. Grammatically, it is more challenging. The thing that helped me the most was listening/reading Grenadian soca lyrics (fusion of traditional calypso and modern electronic music)!
Social Identity
12. How has your personal identity shaped your service experience?
As a 23-year-old white woman, I attract a lot of unwanted attention, particularly from men. It can be really challenging to navigate the day-to-day attention and, more rarely, the sexual harassment that can occur. It can be intense and has definitely influenced my behavior here.
I’m also agnostic, which in such a heavily Christian country can make navigating some situations challenging. Prayer and worship are conducted at every staff meeting, parent-teacher meeting, and sometimes just because.
Finally, I’m also sober. I recently read that Grenada consumes the most hard liquor per capita worldwide. Here, rum is the drink of choice at any and all social events, with consumption sometimes even starting in the morning hours. It makes socializing hard, since almost every social event (and even staff meetings on occasion) has at the very least beer available for all the members.
13. Did your identity lead to specific challenges or situations?
For the unwanted attention, it’s a lot of learning to read the situation. Is the person who is giving that attention harmless, or is there something a little bit more to it? For the former, I try to joke and laugh it off with them. For the latter, I’ve learned to stick up for myself in some scenarios and rely on my local community members to tell off someone for being too pushy.
When it comes to religion, I go along with the group if we are having prayers or worship in school. I don’t attend mass or other religious events regularly, except for a few times at the beginning of my service to get to know my community better. I largely avoid discussing my own religious beliefs, and they are not brought up by my community.
Sobriety, or even just not drinking more than a couple of beers a week in a country like this, can make it awkward when social/school events occur. Alcohol is a core part of socializing and having gatherings or events. I tend to drink non-alcoholic beverages or nothing at all at said events, explaining that I can’t drink beer or liquor for health reasons or that I have an early wake-up the next day.
14. What advice do you have for volunteers who share your identity?
For unwanted attention, you’ll find people in your community who will stand up for you and tell others off. For me, that is the local shop owner. He always tells people off for behaving inappropriately towards me. When not in my community, I have absolutely started standing up for myself in ways I had never done before.
Religion is such a core part of life here; a lot of it is just going along with it and excusing yourself from activities that you may be uncomfortable with. It’s up to the volunteers’ preference if they feel comfortable attending regular Masses and worship sessions, but largely no one will be upset if you don’t attend.
Much like I mentioned above, when alcohol is a key part of events, I really choose NA options when at different events or decline altogether, citing health reasons or waking up early the next day. It usually works, and no one pressures me to drink after I decline.
Impact of Media and Final Thoughts
15. If you share content online, how has that shaped your service?
I have a private Instagram where I often share about my life here with people. It ranges from my day-to-day work stuff to my life outside school, encompassing the whole breadth of PC life. You can find me @sophiaa.meyer on Instagram.
16. What final advice or thoughts would you share with future volunteers?
27 months sounds like a long time, but I am just over 5 months from COS, and I swear it has gone by in a blink. You’re going to find people you are going to bond with for life and have the best, most unique experiences. Embrace the life you live in your country of service to the fullest because you’ll look back with such fondness on it.
Are you thinking about joining the Peace Corps? If you’re curious about service and ready for something new, apply today. Like Sophia, 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 Grenada Government.
