In this interview, you’ll hear from Carly Corso, a Peace Corps Education volunteer in the Dominican Republic. Carly 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 the Dominican Republic?
During the school year, I work in my primary school’s library from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., tutoring students individually or in small groups to bring them up to their appropriate Spanish literacy reading levels. This past school year, I worked with about 50 students in grades 3rd through 6th, which I do not necessarily recommend for a single volunteer.
Depending on their needs, I met with students one, two, or three times a week. My sessions consist of using interactive songs to teach letter names and sounds, playing literacy games focused on matching upper and lowercase letters, sounding out syllables, and reading decodable books. When it is time for recess, select students are allowed to come to the library and read books or play literacy games if they have permission from their teachers.
Although school events, meetings, or rain can disrupt the schedule, for the most part, I spend my service teaching kids how to read. In the summers, I organize literacy, English, and dance camps for students and community members.
Click HERE to check out a day in the life I had that was featured on the Peace Corps’ official Instagram:
2. What is a highlight of working as an Education volunteer in the Dominican Republic?
A highlight of my service so far has been helping a sixth grader learn how to read and seeing her graduate to high school last year. Her teachers and psychologists described her as a hopeless case with no interest in learning, but they asked if I could work with her in hopes that a different teaching style might spark growth. I began working with her right away. After just the first day, she started looking forward to our sessions after realizing that learning could be fun, and I watched her confidence grow. As she began to read, she proudly shared her progress with classmates, and even started helping me teach younger students in the mornings.
While teaching literacy can be a tiring and slow process, these little wins make all the difference. They remind me that this work is about reaching one student at a time, and that consistent effort can create meaningful, lifelong change.
3. Why did you decide to join the Peace Corps and serve in the Dominican Republic?
Ever since I was 16, it was my dream to join the Peace Corps. My interest began when my high school English teacher assigned a “life after high school” project, during which I interviewed family friends who had served in Kenya. Learning about their experience sparked my curiosity about the organization and its mission.
From that point on, I sought out opportunities to serve both my local and global community. I volunteered in a bilingual kindergarten classroom, interpreted for an immigration nonprofit, and worked with youth in Spain. In college, I studied Spanish and Cultural Communications while completing the Peace Corps Prep program, which further strengthened my commitment to service and interest in cross-cultural connection.
By the end of college, when I applied and received an invitation to serve in the Dominican Republic, I was eager to accept and excited to begin this new journey!
Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
4. What is your housing like in the Dominican Republic?
For the first four months of service, I lived with a host family: my doña (host mom), whom everyone calls Mamá because she is a mother to everyone in the community, and her grandson Cesar. This was the same host family that Cole Christian also lived with during her service here in the Dominican Republic (see her interview here).
I really enjoyed living with Mamá and Cesar. The neighbors in our barrio became like family to me, and I would spend my evenings outside playing Yun or pelota with kids in the street, playing cards, dancing bachata, or just chatting.
Even though I thoroughly enjoyed living with my host family, independent living was calling my name. I moved out and lived with Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) Cole for a while before she left. I then proceeded to live alone for a year before another PCV friend moved in with me! I am so grateful for my host family, whom I still visit often and who truly feel like family to me.
5. What moments or interactions stand out during your service?
One of my favorite things about serving in my community is that, whether I’m walking down the street or even at home, the schoolchildren recognize me and scream CARLITA (my name) whenever they see me. It is a small but meaningful reminder of the relationships I have built here.
I have also come to appreciate the value of slowing down and finding joy in the small, everyday moments. Living here has taught me the sweetness of taking my time and being fully present. Dominicans have a way of working hard and resting well, which has taught me to slow down, be present, embrace the unexpected, and truly appreciate the rhythm of each day.
Surprises and Challenges
6. What has surprised you most about living or working in the Dominican Republic?
What surprised me the most about living in the Dominican Republic (DR) was the strong culture of sharing. A PCV friend of mine told me a quote from her doña recently that went something like this:
“If I have a lot, I will give a lot; if I have a little, I will give a little, and if I have nothing at all, we will find a way.”
This quote perfectly sums up Dominican culture and their immense spirit of giving and sharing with their community. Even little kids here know that if they buy a bag of chips, they must offer some to everyone else around them first before eating any themselves. In the United States, I would be surprised to see children sharing their snacks with strangers so easily without being told to do so by their parents first.
Therefore, I have to say, this is one of the main reasons why I fell in love with the people and culture here is that it has taught me how I should give to my community, both here and back home.
7. What secondary projects have you worked on during your service?
My main project is Spanish literacy tutoring; however, in my free time I offer free beginner, intermediate, and advanced English classes in the evenings twice a week for both children and adults. During my first year at site, I was only teaching a basic English class, but due to increased community interest, I decided to open more levels and recruit my fellow PCV site mates to help me teach.
I also co-lead ballet classes for young girls in my community on Saturdays, teach religious education at my local Catholic church on Sundays, and occasionally serve as a guest teacher at a university and in an immersion English class at my site.
Additionally, I sometimes visit schools in the loma (the mountains) to provide literacy materials and extra support, since they have more limited resources. I am also looking forward to collaborating with my school and fellow volunteers to paint a mural, Dios mediante, as a lasting contribution to my primary school.
Advice and Support
8. What advice would you give to future Education volunteers in the Dominican Republic?
Firstly, teaching literacy is hard. You will most likely experience burnout and sometimes feel frustrated when things change and are out of your control. The best advice I can give future education volunteers in the DR is to learn how to be adaptable and embrace the unexpected. When things don’t go as planned, I’ve learned not to worry, but instead, adjust, knowing there is always a Plan B, and sometimes an outcome even better than I originally imagined.
If you ever feel stuck in a routine, change it up by adding a game! For example, I found a mini Jenga set that I use to teach my students how to read syllables. Be creative and ask for help, whether from your fellow volunteers or local teachers and staff. You are never alone in this country!
Practical Tips and Language Learning
9. What would you tell future volunteers to pack—or leave behind?
The Peace Corps packing list says you should not bring tank tops or flip-flops to prevent you from looking too “gringo.” I’m here to tell you that no matter what you wear, people know you are gringo so bring the flip-flops, tank tops, and your Air Force 1 sneakers!
It’s too hot here to be wearing long pants constantly, and you will blend in with the Dominicans who wear slides all the time. I also recommend that you bring a headlamp for when se va la luz (electricity issues here), a chargeable portable fan from Amazon, and if you are an incoming EDU volunteer, bring some books in Spanish and some cards or games.
You will also end up buying a lot of stuff here, so don’t get too worried if you feel like you underpacked. I came with one large checked suitcase that weighed 50 pounds, one carry-on, and a backpack.
10. How has language learning been for you in the Dominican Republic?
I have often heard that if you can learn Dominican Spanish, then you can speak Spanish anywhere. Dominican Spanish is more challenging because they often cut off the s in words, speak 10 times faster than your average Spanish speaker, and they have a lot of unique slang words in their daily speech.
When I arrived here, I immediately started a list of these slang words in my notes app that I eventually converted into an article that was published on our volunteer-led initiative “Your Daily Vivire” that highlights stories written by PCVs serving in the DR. Here is a link to the article I wrote that lists and defines some Dominican slang words that are necessary to know if you are living in the DR.
Social Identity
11. How has your personal identity shaped your service experience?
As a practicing Catholic, it surprised me to find that the DR is not as Catholic as it claims to be. In fact, it is more Catholic culturally while growing into a more actively practicing Evangelical Protestant country. This shift is especially noticeable in the Southwest region.
At first, I struggled with being the only young person at Mass on Sundays, but I did my best to integrate by volunteering to teach catechism classes and showing up every week. For volunteers who want to practice their faith during service, access can sometimes be a challenge. However, I highly recommend exploring your community to find the people who make you feel at home.
Final Thoughts
12. What final advice would you share with future volunteers?
For those who are thinking about joining the Peace Corps but are unsure if it aligns with their career plans or if the two-year commitment sounds scary, trust me, it’s worth it! I have learned more about myself and the world, and developed a new perspective and set of skills that I would not have gained if I had not joined the Peace Corps. So take the leap of faith and apply for the “toughest job you’ll ever love!”
Are you thinking about joining the Peace Corps? If you’re curious about service and ready for something new, apply today. Like Carly, 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 the Dominican Republic Government.
