2025 Peace Corps Week: UH Hilo Assistant Professor Josef Donnelly writes about his time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Micronesia
UH Hilo Assistant Professor of Education Josef Donnelly served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Micronesia from 2006 to 2009. “It shaped my vision of the world and exposed me to a larger global community.”
Each day this week — 2025 Peace Corps Week, Feb. 24-28 — UH Hilo Stories is featuring a former Peace Corps volunteer with ties to Hawaiʻi Island. This story is written by Josef Donnelly, who served as a Peace Corps volunteer on the Mortlock Islands of Chuuk, Micronesia, 2006-2009. Assistant Professor Donnelly started teaching at UH Hilo in January of this year.
My Peace Corps Story
By Josef Donnelly.
On a bright morning, as the sun sparkled off the Pacific Ocean, I gazed from the deck of our ship toward the atoll I would call home for the next three years. Coconut trees shot up like hands in a classroom, eager to answer a known question. Smoke billowed from cookhouses as the village sprang to life — the island, which could be circumnavigated in about an hour, pulsed with energy. I exuded excitement and trepidation for the adventure I got myself into. Little did I know how much this experience would change my life.
I joined the Peace Corps when I was 23. I don’t remember how or why I learned about the Peace Corps program. It might have been my mom or one of my American history classes. Nevertheless, traveling, living in a foreign country, learning a new language, and serving others enthralled me. I applied as soon as possible. When I received my acceptance phone call, the program operator asked if I would be interested in serving in Micronesia. I knew nothing about Micronesia except that it was a group of Pacific Islands. Of course, I said, but I probably would have been happy to go anywhere.
Dayton to LA to Honolulu to Majuro to Kosrae to Pohnpei. My initial flight, while long, couldn’t suppress my excitement. As we approached Pohnpei, our final destination, one could see the reefs of turquoise blues and the islands of vibrant green. Landing in Pohnpei, the heat and humidity hit us like a brick wall. Sweat beaded on my brow as I passed an airport sign that read Kaselehlie (Welcome).
After several weeks of training in Pohnpei, I was placed in a group to serve in the Mortlock Islands of Chuuk. We were informed that the Mortlocks’ extreme remoteness would make serving there challenging, which sounded great to me.
My colleagues and I first stayed in Weno, the capital of Chuuk, where we took language lessons for six weeks, learned local customs, and visited schools. Then, it was time to leave on a ship to start our service. The boat ride lasted twenty-four hours.
I lived with a host family for three years (I extended my service for a year). They lived in the village of Eor, a short walk down an idyllic path. My family’s house had a fence made of island shrubs. About fifty feet behind the house was the lagoon and ever-expansive ocean. On my first night, under the glow of a kerosene lamp, I dined on octopus and taro.
I was the only Peace Corps Volunteer on the atoll. I used a radio to communicate with other Peace Corps volunteers in the area. My primary role was teaching 8th and 7th grade English and engaging in cultural exchange. I learned Chuukese. On weekends, I went fishing and all its different permutations: spearfishing (both night and day), deep-sea trolling, pole fishing, raising locally made fish traps, and fishing with nets. When in season, we pounded breadfruit. We always tended our taro patch. The lessons I learned from the land continue to stay with me.
Of course, living on an atoll came with challenges. I communicated with my family infrequently and often by snail mail. All the creature comforts of my life in Ohio were gone. My favorite treat, ice cream, was non-existent. There were no TVs, electricity, or stores. Yet, looking back, I have come to see these challenges more as opportunities to rediscover the joy of life and make the most out of every day. More than that, I learned how to appreciate the many simple gifts we have in a very complex world. My favorite memories often involved nothing more than sitting with friends, talking, and enjoying the ocean’s calm.
Micronesia is a magical place, and I return frequently. I remain close to many friends and family. I saw my adopted mom several summers ago. I also met my future wife on Oneop! In time, we hope our children can experience the beauty of the atoll and the warmth of the village community.
Ultimately, I cannot place a value on my Peace Corps experience. It shaped my vision of the world and exposed me to a larger global community. It showed me the importance of service, not only to humanity but also to the land. It demonstrated the better angels of the United States. The island community challenged my naive ideas of self and individualism and instilled deep gratitude while teaching me how to be a better person. Because of my Peace Corps experience, I continue to find ways to give back to the community. It was an opportunity I recommend to anyone at any age.
Josef Donnelly is an assistant professor of education at UH Hilo’s School of Education.
Peace Corps Volunteers Project
This week’s stories on former Peace Corps volunteers is part of a larger project headed by Su-Mi Lee, a professor of political science, who along with her poli-sci students and members of the local community are collecting biographical stories of former Peace Corps volunteers who have ties to Hawaiʻi Island. Learn more about Lee’s Return Peace Corps Volunteer Project (2023), and Return Peace Corps Volunteers video interview project (2024).
