Interview with John Wallace, April 30, 2020

Interview Summary

John Wallace served in Guatemala from mid-1984 to late 1987 and worked as a Peace Corps trainer from 1987-1988. For most of his service, he worked as a beekeeping volunteer in Olintepeque, Quetzaltenango, helping local beekeepers prepare for the northern migration of the Africanized honeybee. In addition to his primary work, he procured funding through USAID and home sources for several secondary projects such as bringing potable water to 33 families, road repairs, school construction, and an irrigation project. He later changed programs to wildlife management for his one-year extension and moved to Purulha, Baja Verapaz to work in the Quetzal preserve in wildlife management, training young people as naturalist guides for the preserve. After ending his Peace Corps service, he came full circle by training new volunteers in the beekeeping program of Guatemala. Upon returning to the U.S., he became a professor of entomology in Pennsylvania, continuing to share the Peace Corps message with his students and community.

Interview Keyword

Guatemala (Country of service) 1984-1988 (Date of service) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Beekeeping Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Wildlife management Peace Corps staff Spanish (Language) Pastores, Sacatepequez (Guatemala) Olintepeque, Quetzaltenango (Guatemala) Purulha, Baja Verapaz (Guatemala) Wildlife management Catholic Church Peace Corps trainers Secondary projects Beekeeping

Interview LC Subject

Peace Corps (U.S.) Peace Corps (U.S.)--Guatemala Guatemala 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 Peace Corps (U.S.)--Management

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Interview Usage

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