Holly Hayes served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Macedonia



Holly Hayes teaches music at Westport Middle School and directs the student choruses there. She took a two-year leave of absence to join the Peace Corps, serving in Macedonia, part of the former Yugoslavia. "I taught English to middle school students. I also worked in women's development programs. There are a lot of issues there with human trafficking, women's rights, civil rights."

Holly Hayes served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Macedonia

They bring music to the middle school

[Excerpt]

OLLY HAYES : SHE SPENT TIME IN PEACE CORPS

Holly Hayes

Holly Hayes teaches music at Westport Middle School and directs the student choruses there. She took a two-year leave of absence to join the Peace Corps, serving in Macedonia, part of the former Yugoslavia. A native of Wisconsin, she lives in Little Compton with her husband, Declan, who was in the Peace Corps with her. Ms. Hayes is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island with a degree in music education. She was the assistant music director for the Little Compton Community Center in the summer of 2003.

WMS MUSIC PROGRAM? "This is the first time we've had band and chorus scheduled into the school day. It used to be competing with after-school sports. As a result, the number participants has gone up. Last year, we had 40 students in the chorus in grades five to eight. This year, we have 95 in the fifth and sixth grade chorus and 140 in the seventh and eighth grade chorus."

WHAT DID IN PEACE CORPS? "I taught English to middle school students. I also worked in women's development programs. There are a lot of issues there with human trafficking, women's rights, civil rights."

DID YOU ENJOY IT? "Absolutely. It was probably the best experience I've had in my life."

PEACE CORPS TRAINING? "We had to learn the language. The training is very intense."

MUSLIM/CHRISTIANS COEXIST? "Macedonia was split about 60 to 70 percent Christian/ Orthodox and 30 to 40 percent Muslim."

ANY RELIGIOUS CLASHES? "Yes; (because of the strife) they evacuated all the Peace Corps volunteers in 2001. I was in the second group to go back in when they reinstated the Peace Corps. I was there from the fall of 2003 to the fall of 2005."

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: December, 2006; Peace Corps Macedonia; Directory of Macedonia RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Macedonia RPCVs; Music

When this story was posted in February 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:




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