Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2013-004-003
Donald Gale Rozell served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia from 1962 to 1964 (Bolivia II). He left college to join and had prior experience speaking Spanish. His training was held in Puerto Rico and Vermont. Upon his arrival in Bolivia, Rozell was supposed to work at the agricultural experiment station in General Saavedra rebuilding engines, but discovered that the project was impossible due to a lack of parts. Instead, he filled his time with a variety of other jobs including working with the Heifer Project for pigs; working with 4-H; helping the local Maryknoll priest with children's programming; and organizing the U.S. Information Service (USIS) library in Santa Cruz. After completing his Peace Corps term, Rozell obtained degrees in agricultural economics and spent 25 years working with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) overseas. He says that the Peace Corps definitely influenced his career choice and gave him an appreciation for other cultures. Interviewed and recorded by Sharleen Hirschi Simpson, June 19, 2012. 1 tape.