Q: Now that you have lived overseas, what is one thing you wish you had learned about the world when you were in school?

A: I wish I had learned more about world history. When I was in school—or so it seems now—everything was told from the perspective of Western Europe. Which countries colonized whom? Now I realize that there were rich cultures before Western Europe colonized them and rich cultures that thrive today! I wish I knew more about the other side of the world, not just the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

—Sharon Keld, Small Business Development Peace Corps Volunteer, Morocco

A: I think Sharon is right. Special and deep thanks to the Peace Corps organization that gives us this unique opportunity to know other peoples and cultures. It allows us to come to the conclusion that we are all but human beings who, although we have different backgrounds, cultures, and religions, can live in harmony with each other, and share experiences and memorable moments. This is all possible if we try to understand, tolerate, accept, and respect the difference, the otherness. This is a significant way to promote world peace and friendship.

—Naima El Khalidy, Medical Assistant, Peace Corps/Morocco

A: Things aren't always as they appear to be. Living in Macedonia for two years, I became accustomed to teenagers strolling up and down the streets, wearing a great deal of makeup, clad in stylish clothes, and carrying fancy mobile phones. Then I experienced families gathering around hot wooden stoves, peeling peppers for hours on end to store food for the winter. Upon first glance, things can be misleading.

—Cindy Wasserman, Elementary Education Peace Corps Volunteer, Macedonia

A: I wish I had learned that many people in the world grow up speaking two languages or more, and I wish I had learned a second language when I was younger.

—Apryl Gibson, Community Development Peace Corps Volunteer, Bulgaria

A: I wish I would have learned more about current events. I don't think I picked up a newspaper or listened to a non-local radio station until college, and I don't remember being encouraged to do so in school. Integrating current events into the classroom would be a great way to open eyes early to the fact that the world, while big, is connected, and to encourage curiosity about other cultures.

—Sterling Lee, Health and Water Sanitation Peace Corps Volunteer, Ghana

A: 1. It is easier to live without electricity than it is to live without running water.
2. That you can be safe almost anywhere in the world. When people know you and respect you, it makes them want to protect you from any danger.
3. That you can find people all over the world who are intrinsically good human beings, working to make the planet better for all of us.

—Morgen Warner, Urban Youth Development Peace Corps Volunteer, Dominican Republic

A: I would have liked to have understood what a privilege it was to be able to go to school by learning about the challenges children in other countries face.

—Erica Baker, Advanced Business Development Peace Corps Volunteer, Burkina Faso

A: Foreign languages are necessary to know. I should have studied one as seriously as the other subjects I took in school.

—Sharon Hakim, Urban Youth Development Peace Corps Volunteer, Moldova