Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-114
Stephen (Steve) Wiley served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji from 1970 to 1971 as an elementary school teacher. His decision to join was influenced by his desire to pursue a career in teaching and to avoid the draft. He applied and was invited to Fiji, but then realized that he wanted to get married first. He and his new wife Sally applied together and were selected for the next Fiji training group. Training was conducted in Hilo, Hawaii, and covered Fijian language and culture as well as teacher training. Wiley taught at an elementary school in the rural village of Laselevu, where he and his wife were the only non-Fijian teachers, and he spent a great deal of time preparing lesson plans. In retrospect he regrets not socializing more with the men of the village to gain a better understanding of their lives and viewpoints. After completing their two years of Peace Corps service, the Wileys stayed in Fiji for an additional year while Steve continued as a teacher and Sally served as headmistress of the Fiji School for the Intellectually Handicapped. The interview includes discussion of living conditions in the village and visits to other parts of Fiji. Interviewed and recorded by Julius (Jay) Sztuk, June 30, 2019. 2 digital audio files (web streaming files combined into 1 file).