Jedd and Michelle Chang’s Peace Corps Story

Where and when did you serve? What did you do?

We served in Jamaica 2012-14. Michelle did literacy tutoring at a rural primary school while Jedd helped start up a brand new community center in town and taught basic computer classes to senior citizens.

What is one of your favorite Peace Corps memories?

Our host sister asked us to make our cinnamon roll recipe for her wedding. She got married in our host family’s background. Although it rained heavily, the couple was still in great spirits, everyone had a good time, and our hundreds of mini cinnamon rolls were a big hit.

There was some drama among the staff at my school and it sometimes interfered with my ability to tutor the kids. It was an exhausting environment and made me realize how complex and deeply rooted the obstacles are against progress in Jamaica.

We miss our second family. We loved our hosts and our community members. Fortunately, with our digital nomad lifestyle, we’ve been able to visit twice since our COS.

We learned how to travel with vigilance. Peace Corps Jamaica has a very thorough safety and security training. After that training and traveling around the island, most places we visit are much easier and more relaxing to travel through!

Do you have a favorite quote or local saying?

Our host mother would always say, “People are people.” She had a great attitude about respecting the inherent dignity in everyone, even if they seem strange, we all share similar fears and hopes.