Interview with Peter John Balint, October 28, 2022

Interview Summary

Peter Balint served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mexico from June 2018 until March 2020, in the Environment Program. In his career, Peter first taught high school for 20 years, and later became a professor at George Mason University, where he retired in May 2018. He and his wife Judy served together. Peter had previously lived in Mexico for a year, and spoke Spanish. Their cohort, Mexico 20, trained in Querétero. Training included living with a host family, language, and Natural Resource Conservation. Peter and Judy were assigned to work with the Mexican Protected Area Management Agency in the town of Jesús María, Aguascalientes. They provided conservation training to locals who communally owned land several hours away. USAID grants helped them fund transportation of landowners to the site for training, many of whom had rarely if ever visited their land before. Peter and Judy’s tour was cut short when they were evacuated due to the COVID19 pandemic.

Interview Keyword

Peace Corps (U.S.) Mexico (country of service) 2018-2020 (date of service) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Environment Evacuated Peace Corps Volunteer (EPCV) COVID-19 (Disease) Peace Corps (U.S.)--2010-2020 Mexico 20 (training cohort) Spanish (language) Older Americans diversity in Peace Corps Many Faces of Peace Corps #manyfacesofpeacecorps married volunteers George Mason University Querétero Protected Area Management Agency La Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas Jesús María, Aguascalientes (assignment site) USAID

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