Interview with Patricia Maguire, February 12, 2021

Interview Summary

Patricia Maguire served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Jamaica from 1977 to 1979 with the Ministry of Education. She previously worked as a school counselor. She and her husband were accepted for training group Jamaica 21. Training, conducted in Kingston, Jamaica, included culture, health, and safety, but not language or technical skills. During training, they lived with a host family. Maguire’s job focused on helping Jamaican counselors develop and implement their 5-year plan from the bottom up. She also worked with Kingston area counselors. She discusses how international politics and local conditions, including violence, sexual assault, and shortages of goods and services impacted volunteers, especially early termination. She discusses how insights regarding participation, gained through working with local counselors, influenced her career. After service, Maguire worked as a Peace Corp training consultant for nine years. While Director of Western New Mexico University - Gallup, she initiated a Peace Corps Fellows program, along with another RPCV. She currently serves on the board of the First Coast RPCV Association. Her daughter served in Peace Corps in Ecuador from 2009 to 2011.

Interview Keyword

Jamaica (Country of service) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Education Kingston (Jamaica) 1977-1979 (Date of service) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Counselor training Jamaica 21 (Training cohort) Peace Corps (U.S.)--1970-1980 Training consultants Peace Corps Fellows Program Western New Mexico University - Gallup Population diversity Safety issues First Coast RPCV Association Mothers of Peace Corps volunteers

Interview LC Subject

Peace Corps (U.S.) Peace Corps (U.S.)--Jamaica Jamaica Acculturation Communication and culture Culture Culture shock Intercultural communication Interpersonal communication and culture Interpersonal relations Interpersonal relations and culture Language and culture Language and languages Lifestyles Manners and customs Voluntarism Volunteers

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