Peace Corps community in the news
Week of May 4, 2025
Faith leaders, elected officials break bread, call for peace amid global conflict at Newport Beach Prayer Breakfast, by Eric Licas in the L.A. Times | May 2, 2025.
The morning’s keynote speaker was Gaddi Vasquez, former director of the U.S. Peace Corps and Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture based in Rome. He’s an Orange County native raised by migrant farmworkers, and recalled how his family of four got by in a one-room trailer “borrowing” electricity. The statesman added that he previously worked for Southern California Edison.
Heidi Secord | Deputy Secretary for Farm, Food and Market Access, in Commonwealth of Pennsylvania | May 2025.
Secretary Redding appointed Heidi Secord (Mali and Lesotho) in May 2025 to serve as the Deputy Secretary for Farm, Food and Market Access. Heidi is an experienced leader on state and national agricultural issues and has over 30 years of direct market farming and regenerative agriculture experience. She and her husband Gary Bloss own and operate a diversified vegetable operation with a Community Supported Agriculture membership and farmer-led local food hub at the Josie Porter Farm in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
Letter: Peace Corps and AmeriCorps cuts hurt U.S., by George Perkins in The Cap Times | May 3, 2025.
Trump/Musk/DOGE is preceding with further staff reductions at Peace Corps and AmeriCorps. This endangers the safety of over 3,000 overseas volunteers in 60 countries and uproots over 200,000 domestic volunteers, many serving in communities impacted by natural disasters in the U.S. The illegal and unconstitutional "deferred resignation" and staffing reductions (firings) imposed by Trump/Musk/DOGE threaten federal institutional knowledge and efficiency.
Opinion: USAID’s demise foretells a loss of American influence, privilege and character, by Kelly McCorkendale (Madagascar 2004-06) | May 4, 2025.
USAID was filled with the brightest. People from every U.S. state carried a torch showing the world America’s truest colors, and we were foreign assistance’s superpower, bound by a shared calling. My Ozark roots fortified my calling to serve others via Peace Corps and to continue the work until this past February when I was put on “temporary layoff.”
Ashlee Casey appointed Executive Director of the Water Forum, in Smart Water Magazine | May 5, 2025.
The Water Forum has appointed Ashlee Casey, PE (Suriname 2009-11), as its new Executive Director, marking a pivotal moment as the organization finalizes its next-generation water management agreement, Water Forum 2050. With more than a decade of experience tackling California’s most complex water challenges, Casey brings deep technical expertise and a collaborative leadership style to her new role.
Family tries to stay hopeful as search for missing 79-year old hiker in Portola Valley enters Day Five, by Ann Rubin on Fox KTUV | May 5, 2025.
Her sister says she's in disbelief. "Elaine McKinley is the person who saves others. Elaine would be mortified that all of this was going on for her. She is humble and she is damn near perfect," says Kelley McKinley, Elaine's younger sister. Elaine had been in the Peace Corps, and was a health worker. Loved ones call her a force to be reckoned with.
Peace Corps isn’t just about helping others − it’s a key part of US public diplomacy, by Thomas J Nisley (Dominican Republic 1989-91) in The Conversation | May 6, 2025.
When asked in 1962 how he saw the relationship of the Peace Corps to U.S. foreign policy, Kennedy responded that he saw the Peace Corps as “an opportunity to emphasize a different part of our American character,” instead of the idea that the U.S. is a “harsh, narrow-minded militaristic, materialistic society.” The Trump administration tends to view foreign assistance programs as open-ended charity programs that need to be eliminated.
‘Everything comes from plants’: UK professor dedicates 35 years to plant pathology, by Christopher Carney in UK News | May 6, 2025.
For more than three decades, Paul Vincelli (Colombia and Nicaragua 1977-80) has been an ambassador, advocate and educator of plant pathology and genetic engineering—travelling all over the world, writing numerous publications and cited papers, syncing up with some of the best researchers and scientists, and finding innovative ways to teach his students, and the community, about this dynamic field.
Bilingual Reading Apps Aim To Boost Literacy In Tonga, by Friends of Tonga in Scoop World | May 6, 2025.
Developed by United States Peace Corps Volunteer, Andrew Pavey, in partnership with the American NGO Friends of Tonga, the Tonga Ministry of Education and Training’s Curriculum Development Unit, and the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga Education Department, each app offers 100+ fun, culturally-relevant books across various difficulty levels, topics, and genres. The majority of books also feature read-along audio narration recorded by native speakers.
Peace Corps Prep: Preparing St. Mike’s students for international service is as popular as it’s ever been, by April Barton in St. Michael’s College News | May 6, 2025.
Established in 2015, this year marks ten years Saint Michael’s College has offered Peace Corps Prep certification. This tenth year also included the largest group of St. Mike’s students completing certification – 16 – who participated in a graduation ceremony in April. “Whether you’re directly interested in the Peace Corps or more broadly focused on international development like I was, the program helps you gain and articulate valuable skills that appeal to future employers,” Paisleigh Atwood (Albania 2024-25) said.
Opinion: National service programs protect us. Why would we cut them? by Lee D Gerston (Mozambique) in San Diego Union-Tribune | May 6, 2025.
As with my AmeriCorps experience, I got more out of the Peace Corps than I put into it. I learned a new language — something I struggled with in school, and a skill that would prove vital in my career as a USAID program manager and implementer. And like AmeriCorps, DOGE is threatening to put an end to the Peace Corps, an agency that operates on less than $500 million annually. $1.26 per American per year — couch cushion money — supports 8,000 Peace Corps Volunteers globally, folks who bring the best of America to developing nations.
Peace Corps isn’t just about helping others − it’s a key part of US public diplomacy, by Thomas J Nisley (Dominican Republic 1988-90) in The Conversation | May 6, 2025.
“As a scholar of international affairs, I think it is important to understand the subtle – but important – role that the Peace Corps plays in helping the U.S. maintain a positive international image. My research on Latin American countries has shown that the presence of a Peace Corps program improves the popular perception of the U.S. among communities there. A good reputation fosters goodwill and helps the U.S. achieve its concrete foreign policy goals, be it making a trade deal or helping to end a conflict.
Remembering Grecia Nuñez, Rep. Gabe Vasquez pays tribute to former intern, by Nicole Ardila on KVIA | May 6, 2025.
Grecia Nuñez (Panama 2015-17) was an adventurous woman passionate about conservation, and a former intern for Rep. Gabe Vasquez, who he says "embodied the immigrant spirit of following the American dream." On January 11, she lost the battle against breast cancer at 32 years old.
After teaching around the world, a Melbourne educator has returned to her roots, by Tammie Fields in Spectrum News 13 | May 06, 2025.
Before Laura Negi (Mongolia 2008-10) became an A+ Teacher she traveled the world teaching students. She eventually made her way back home to the same classroom where it all started. “I went to Sabal as a kid. My mom taught at Sabal and I’ve been teaching here my whole career here in the United States but after college I went to the Peace Corps and taught in Mongolia and then I taught in India as well,” she said.
Peace Corps Announces 2025 Top Volunteer-Producing Schools, in PeaceCorps.gov | May 7, 2025.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) holds the top spot among Peace Corps’ 2025 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list. There are currently 46 Badgers serving in 30 countries around the world. UW-Madison has consistently sent some of the largest cohorts of Peace Corps volunteers overseas and has maintained its place as the No. 2 all-time volunteer producer with 3,074 alumni having served since 1961.
Continuing to support a Botswana community from home, by Sharece Bunn in PeaceCorps.gov | May 7, 2025.
While he loved living and working with his community in Botswana, Perry returned home to Florida earlier than planned due to family commitments. But he wanted to continue to support the community online and complete their collaborative project. Perry’s Peace Corps program manager was supportive of Perry continuing his engagement virtually after returning to the U.S.
Meet Me At Cove: Pastor Paula Maeder Connor (Retired), A Lifelong Advocate For Community And Connection, by Nancy Feighan in Lakewood Observer | May 7, 2025.
Her journey took a unique turn when she joined the Peace Corps during the Vietnam War, landing her in Thailand, where she taught English to eighth-grade boys. She learned Thai, navigated the challenges of running a classroom, and even got a firsthand look at the country’s lapidary industry, where locals sifted precious gems from sand. Her experience abroad fueled her desire to work with people, helping them to see the world with new eyes and understanding.
NC Housing Coalition joins nationwide challenge to AmeriCorps funding cuts, by Greg Childress in NC Newsline | May 8, 2025.
“Our action is after receiving notice of the termination of our grant award and coming to the conclusion that it was incredibly important for us as a statewide coalition, as an organization who throughout our history, has kept in mind where the gaps are and how we can step into those gaps to serve communities across North Carolina,” said Samuel Gunter, the housing coalition’s executive director. Gunter, a Peace Corps and VISTA alumnus, said the service programs are transformative for communities and individuals who serve.
From draft resister to diplomatic bridge-builder: One man’s journey from Vietnam War protest to peace advocacy, by Alek Lewis in Riverhead Local | May 8 2025.
Conscientious objector status would exempt him from military service due to moral or religious beliefs. John McAuliff (Peru 1964-66) had followed the escalation of the U.S.’s involvement in the war and his experiences up until then — in the Peace Corps and his participation in civil rights demonstrations in Mississippi — “just reinforced my sense that this [war] was not just wrong morally, but a terrible mistake, that it was going to be a disaster for the people there and for us…” he said.
Behind Our Mission: Working in International Aid, interview with Stacy Ragan (Turkmenistan 1999-2001), on RedCross.org | May 8, 2025.
The American Red Cross plays a vital role in providing humanitarian aid across the globe, from supporting disaster relief to combating deadly diseases, and our International Services team works tirelessly to make this happen. Stacy Ragan is one of the amazing individuals who has dedicated her career to this mission.
Peace Corps braces for deep cuts under Trump, by Rebecca Beitsch in The Hill | May 9, 2025.
Employees at the agency have been told to expect “significant restructuring efforts” as Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffers begin to assess the agency. They have been offered a second chance at a government buyout as the nearly 800-person headquarters staff faces cuts ranging from 50 percent to 80 percent across various departments. And outside of Washington, the Peace Corps may cut 25 percent of the fewer than 200 staff members working in the 60 countries across the globe where it operates — potentially forcing some posts to shutter altogether.
Trump administration complicates job search for students, graduates by Maggie Bryan and Rosella Graham, in The Middlebury Campus | May 9, 2025.
Franchesca Belisle ’25 plans on serving in the Peace Corps upon graduation and says her job working on maternal and child health initiatives in Togo has not been affected yet. While the Peace Corps remains safe for now, Belisle said she was worried about potential cuts proposed by the DOGE to international aid and staffing. “I do have some concerns about how broader U.S. policies might affect Peace Corps operations abroad, especially in ways that might affect my health work abroad — like access to supplies, training, or community partnerships.
Trump’s federal cuts disrupt government careers for SU, ESF graduates, by Sophie Szydlik in The Daily Orange | May 9, 2025.
“I had been working with the Peace Corps, had multiple meetings … and talking to other alumni,” Colman said. “I was really, really excited.” But, the Peace Corps’ future is now uncertain. It’s currently under review from the Department of Government Efficiency and is expected to face significant staffing cuts, leaving people like Colman afraid to pursue an opportunity where they could be fired. Colman was inspired to join the Peace Corps and contribute to their mission. But, she said she must be realistic and acknowledge the uncertainty around government agencies right now. As a young person graduating this year, it’s a risk she said she can’t afford.
