Alex Peterson to correspond with students at his former elementary school during his two-year stay in the west African country of Ghana



Not only will Peterson be sharing his experiences about America with the people of Ghana, he will share his Ghana experiences with Baker's fourth-grade class.

Alex Peterson to correspond with students at his former elementary school during his two-year stay in the west African country of Ghana

Peace Corps worker to correspond with students at his former elementary school



JUNIATA, Neb. (AP) -- Juniata Elementary School Principal Julie Heber and fourth-grade teacher Susie Baker have set up a correspondence project with a former student who is going overseas with the Peace Corps.

Thirteen years after he was a fourth-grader at Juniata Elementary, 22-year-old Alex Peterson left for a two-year stay in the west African country of Ghana.

"He was always a student that we expected things like this from," Heber said.

Baker said Peterson was an outstanding student and always a hard worker.

"He was a very attentive and strong student," Baker said. "He worked hard to achieve his goals."

Peterson is a graduate of Adams Central Junior-Senior High School and graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, in May.

Not only will Peterson be sharing his experiences about America with the people of Ghana, he will share his Ghana experiences with Baker's fourth-grade class.

Before his recent departure, Peterson visited the class and talked about what he was going to do in Ghana.

"He is going to go to Africa to help people," said student Clair Meitens. "He is going to have to walk a long ways to get there."

The class is going to keep in contact with Peterson monthly. They will receive letters from him, and in return, will send him at least one letter.

"We may get to send him one or two letters per month," student Darren Harpold said. "It will depend on how much it will cost (to mail the letters)."

Baker said the students would write to Peterson to find out whatever they could about his activities.

"He said he could send some tape recordings to the students," Baker said. "The class is really excited about this project."

Student Jacob Peter said Peterson described being in the Peace Corps as something like being in the Army, but he won't be carrying any weapons.

"There are no fast-food restaurants, but if we were able to send some food, he said he would like some ribs," Peter said.

Because Peterson will be overseas for the next two years, the communication between him and the students won't end this year. It will continue when the children move on to the fifth- and sixth-grades.

"We are excited that he is going to Africa," Baker said. "I worry about his health and safety, but this is what he has chosen to do, and I am happy for him."

When this story was posted in September 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:




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