Peace Corps and Beyond: Visits with former Samoan Peace Corps

7/25/10

Mary and I took the train to attend a wedding in Philadelphia. Since we were in the area (as Mary likes to say), we whistle stopped to meet with some former Samoan Peace Corps Volunteers.

Washington, DC

Hanna Siemering (2007-2010)

Hannah has been back from Samoa since May 2010 where she served as a veterinarian with Samoa's Animal Protection Organization. Our less than one hour meeting hardly gave us time to cobble down some food, yet alone have a chance to catch up with our lives.

Hannah is currently living in Alexandria, VA and searching for a job or more accurately how to fill the time void she now finds herself facing. Hannah's son is returning to graduate school, her ocean side property remains as inviting for a new home as ever, and she has reapplied for a full-time Peace Corps assignment.

Mary and Hannah, Union Station, Washington, DC

New York, NY
Safiya Mitchell (2007-2008)
Safiya's Peace Corps job was as a Village Based Volunteer in a small Samoan village. Unfortunately she became ill with colitis early in her stay and after being medivaced to a hospital in Hawaii, received a medical discharge from the Peace Corps after successfully serving for about nine months.

Safiya met us with her 10 month old son, Ashair, at New York's Penn Station. Safiya is living with her sister in Brooklyn, working at the non-profit organization, The Pantry, while going to night school where she is exploring a career in nursing. She would like to travel and live abroad, using her nursing degree.

Safiya and Ashair, Penn Station, NY

Safiya's new duties

What a beautiful baby!

Providence, RI
Dylan Ryder (2006-2008)
As a Peace Corps Volunteer, Dylan was a computer teacher at a high school on the Samoan island of Savaii. His service ended November, 2008.

Dylan lives in his home town of Bristol, RI and met us in Providence with his friend, Stephanie. He is currently working for a non-profit as an IT person while doing an on-line graduate program from Columbia University. He would like to be a school administrator, using his computer background. He and Stephanie would like to move to New York where he can directly attend classes at Columbia. Dylan is returning to Samoa with Stephanie in August to check out old haunts and meet old students.