Returned Peace Corps Volunteer david cignoni can be contacted at dcignoniayahoodcom
Country of Service: Kenya
Training Group: Aug 1976- Govt school teachers
Cities you served in: kakamega and Mgange
Arrival Year: 1976
Departure Year: 1980
Work Description:
I was a high school science and math teacher at Kakamega High School (a govt. school) for 2 years and at St John's Secondary School (a Harambee school)in Mgange, Taitia Hills, for 1.5 years
Bring us up to date on your life after the peace corps:
It's been 24 years!!I taught some high school and was a teenage counselor for a few years stateside, did a Masters at SIT in VT, and then went abroad again for 6 years in Saudi and 1 in Mexico doing ESL, and then worked for 12 years stateside (in MA and then KY) doing college level ESL, now I teach high school ESL in western KY, mainly with Hispanics. I am married to a Mexican women and have 2 bilingual boys.
Any thoughts you have now looking back on peace corps days?:
I Still say it was the best time of my life!! I use the lessons I learned at that time every day in my life now!
Anyone you are looking for or would like to hear from?:
A few guys I'd like to contact- Mark Poff who was a Harambee school teacher on the lower slopes of Mt Elgon in Western Province 1976-80- lives maybe in Oregon (Portland?)
Any message for returned volunteers?:
Stick with it- reentry is tough- the tougher the more you had assimilated abroad- it will take a while to process and use all that you have learned- but it is worth it! What you've been through makes you a lot wiser than many!
Originally posted: October 2, 2004
