Interview with Sophie Mills, August 17, 2020

Interview Summary

Sophie Mills earned a B.A. in political science from Davidson University. She was interested in 21st century global challenges, e.g. climate change and the need for strong international cooperation and community. Mills applied for and was accepted to Peace Corps in Albania for teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL). Her application process lasted eleven months because of extensive medical assessments. Pre-service training (PST) followed the community-based training model. General training was held in Lezhe and small group community training in Gjader. Mills’s host family was very welcoming. Talking with current Volunteers raised a question of the sustainability of Peace Corps support for the country as many Albanians felt their only hope for a future was to leave Albania. Training was cut short due to the restrictions required to deal with COVID-19. The evacuation began earlier than most. The training class was sworn in as Volunteers. Host families formed a send-off caravan to bring Volunteers to their consolidation site.

Interview Keyword

Davidson University Application process Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) Albania (Country of service) Community-based training Lezhe, Albania Gjader, Albania Host family Sustainability Corruption Migration Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Relationships Evacuation #covid19 Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Education 2020 (Date of service) Gjadër, Albania

Interview LC Subject

Peace Corps (U.S.) Peace Corps (U.S.)--Albania Albania COVID-19 (Disease) 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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