Interview with Craig Borie, March 8, 2012

Partial Transcript: I'm Jack Wilson interviewing Craig Borie for the Peace Corps Oral History Project at the University of Kentucky Nunn Oral History Center. [Nunn Center for Oral History]

Segment Synopsis: Craig Borie talks about where he grew up, his family and values. Borie discusses becoming passionate about the Spanish language and details some of his early travel experiences.

Keywords: Business management; Exchange students; Hygiene (Colo.); Millwood (Ky.); Nolin River Lake (Ky.); Spanish classes

Subjects: Boulder (Colo.); Boulder County (Colo.); Brothers; Career fairs; Career moves; Childhood; Colorado; Colorado State University; Early life; Education; Education, Higher; Families; Farms; Fort Collins (Colo.); France; Grandparents; Grayson County (Ky.); High school; Interpersonal relations; Language and languages; Lyons (Colo.); Mexico; Millwood (Ky.); Mother; Parenting; Parents; Spanish; Spanish language; Spanish teachers; Travel

Partial Transcript: I had been--I'd just come back the seme--uh, the semester before from Semester at Sea and I knew I really had to do something international, and I didn't know what and how I was going to do it and--um--I saw the Peace Corps table.

Segment Synopsis: Borie considers what inspired him to apply to the Peace Corps. Borie describes his Peace Corps application process.

Keywords: Abroad; Accepted; Applicable; Application; Art studio; Book; Business volunteer; Car; Clubs; Country; Cover-up; Fast; Foreign exchange student; Friends; Graduation; International; Letter; Library; Multi-cultural education; Need; Oliver North; Open; Package; Paper application; Peace Corps recruiters; Phone call; Phone number; Placement; Questions; Request; Residence halls; Status; Talking; Visit

Subjects: Advice; Agriculture; Americans; Brother; Business; Career fairs; Confidence; Controversy; Culture; Education; Experience; Father; France; Gardening; Iran-Contra Affair, 1985-1990; Knowledge; Latin America; Longmont (Colo.); Mail; Meeting; Mexico; Mother; Nicaragua; Parents; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Nicaragua; Photographs; Spanish; Spanish-speaking countries; Teaching; Television; United States; Walking

Partial Transcript: You threw off something about--um--Semester at Sea--.

Segment Synopsis: Borie describes his experiences with the Semester at Sea study abroad program during college. Borie also lists some of the international travel experiences he had prior to joining Peace Corps.

Keywords: Accepted; Application; Director; Doctor; Dorm; Drinking; Expensive; Graduation; Interested; Recruiter; Return; Semester at Sea; Split cost; Study abroad; Tutor; Unaffordable

Subjects: Bahamas; Brazil; China; Colorado State University; Cost; Education; English; Experience; Father; Friend; High school; Hong Kong (China); India; International travel; Japan; Kenya; Malaysia; Mexico; Money; Mother; Opportunity; Peace Corps (U.S.); Privilege; Program; Puerto Rico; Saudi Arabia; Singapore; South Africa; Venezuela; Wealth; Work

Partial Transcript: --Um--what was--what was the process from there on?

Segment Synopsis: Borie details his Peace Corps staging and training. Borie describes some of the challenges with living a host family.

Keywords: Asthma; Business directors; Candy factories; Cultural adjustment; Cultural training; Exercise-induced bronchial spasms; Host families; Hotel Granada (Nicaragua); Internships; Language fluency; Language training; Life adjustments; Local businesses; Medical requirements; Peace Corps country directors; Staging; Technical training

Subjects: Asthma; Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America; Culture; Dental records; Diet; Food; Grenada; Health; Host families of foreign students; Interpersonal relations; Language and languages; Medical records; Miami (Fla.); Nicaragua; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps--Nicaragua; Spanish language; Spanish teachers; Training; Transportation; Vaccines; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: And at the end, will you--will you--did you know what your assignment was going to be before the very end or did you find out--

Segment Synopsis: Borie describes his assigned Peace Corps site and job in Nicaragua.

Keywords: Arrival; Business development; Clients; Colleague; Evening; Excited; Host family; Hostel; Information; Living room; Manager; Met; Nervous; Park; Placement; Savings and loans cooperatives; Site visits; Speaking skills; Talking; Uncomfortable

Subjects: Books; Business; Climate; Communication; Community development; Community relations; Confidence; Contacts; Curiosity; Economic development; Interpersonal relations; Land mines; Language and languages; Managua (Nicaragua); Money; Mountains; Nicaragua; Nicaraguans; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Nicaragua; People; Reading; Safety; Spanish; Travel; Volunteers; Woman; Work

Partial Transcript: And then you went back up permanently, or--

Segment Synopsis: Borie discusses his living situation in Nicaragua. He tells stories about the places he lived, his work and who he lived with.

Keywords: Apartment; Banks; Casket makers; Caskets; Daniel Ortega; Employment; Host family; Hostel; Pensión Baldovinos (Nicaragua); Politics; President; Pulpería; Savings and loans cooperatives

Subjects: Bank robberies; Beans; Churches; Community development; Community relations; Cooking; Cooks; Diet; Economic development; Electricity; Food; High school teachers; History; Housing; Insects; Interpersonal relations; Laundry; Nicaragua; Nicaraguans; Peace Corps (U.S.); Plumbing; Poverty; Rent; Rice; Roommates; Scorpions; Storytelling; Tarantulas; Teachers; Toilets; Training

Partial Transcript: --Um--describe for me what your official job was and then--

Segment Synopsis: Borie talks about his work in a savings and loans cooperative. Borie considers his transition from working in a bank to being a high school teacher for his job assignment.

Keywords: Banks; Board of directors; Business councils; Business development; Clients; Default clients; Language skills; Loan default rates; Policy writing; Savings and loans cooperatives

Subjects: Bookkeepers; Bookkeeping; Business; Community development; Economic development; Education; High school teachers; Loans; Nicaragua; Nicaraguans; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Nicaragua; Spanish; Substitute teachers; Teachers; Teaching; Training; Work

Partial Transcript: And what did you do for recreation?

Segment Synopsis: Borie recalls what he did for recreation during his Peace Corps service. Borie discusses traveling during his service and his interactions with other Peace Corps volunteers and Nicaraguans. Borie tells a story about an interaction with a friend in Nicaragua that reminded him of his privileged position.

Keywords: Dinner; Dinner menus; Friends; Gallo pinto; Park; Personal growth; Reflections; Television; World hunger

Subjects: Basketball; Community relations; Cooking; El Salvador; Food; Friendship; Guatemala; High school teachers; Honduras; Hunger; Interpersonal relations; Nicaragua; Nicaraguans; Parents; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Nicaragua; Poverty; Privilege; Recreation; Seminars; Soccer; Spanish; Sports; Storytelling; Teachers; Television; Travel; United States; Vacations; Volleyball; Volunteers; Walking

Partial Transcript: So, you finished your service when?

Segment Synopsis: Borie recalls what it was like to return to the United States after two years in Nicaragua. He talks about his career path after the Peace Corps.

Keywords: 4th of July; Adjustment period; Break; Car; Eating; Excited; Expensive; Fat; Friends; Frozen food; Kentucky State University; Life adjustments; Mexican restaurant; Newspaper; Obsessed; Overwhelming; Peace Corps allowance; Purchased; Ready; Return; Strange; Typical; Visit

Subjects: American culture; Americans; Appetizers; Boulder (Colo.); Brother; California; Career moves; Careers; Careers & opportunities; Choices; Costa Rice; Families; Father; Food; Grocery stores; Manpower; Money; Mother; Nicaraguans; Oil; Peace Corps (U.S.); Salt; Suffering; Time; Travel; United States; Weight; Weight loss; Work; Work ethic

Partial Transcript: Then at the end of the six months?

Segment Synopsis: Borie discusses his career after Peace Corps.

Keywords: Answering machine; Camper; Cars; Computer company; Coupon books; Court interpreter; Cousin; Crushed; Determined; Doctor; Engaging; Excited; Frustrated; Full-time; Grandfather; Hired; Hiring; Human resources; Interview; Introvert; Liked; Manager; Millwood (Ky.); Moving; Name; Paid; Parole officer; Position; Raise; Ready; Salary; Schedule; Second shift; Senior manager; Separated; Service contracts; Stayed; Talking; Temporary jobs; Terrible; Tired; Top performers; Tour; Visit; Voicemail

Subjects: Colorado; Confidence; Father; Friend; Georgetown (Ky.); Grayson County (Ky.); Home; Knowledge; Lexington (Ky.); Living; Management; Manpower; Meeting; Money; Mother; Nicaragua; Parents; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Nicaragua; People; Progress; Promotion; Spanish; Students; Sun Microsystems; Telephone calls; Toyota automobiles; Training; University of Colorado; Voice; Work; Work ethic

Partial Transcript: So, we went on a fifteen day cruise together in October of 2004.

Segment Synopsis: Borie explains why he decided to travel to Africa and the Middle East after being laid off from his job working at a computer company.

Keywords: Adventure; Book; Boss; Buyout package; Cars; Convent; Cruise; Decision; Finances; Friends; Laid off; Left; Library; Nun; Office; Plans; Quit; Road trips; Roommate; Savings; Stayed; Talking; Unfulfilled; Unimpressed; Visiting

Subjects: Africa; Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America; California; Cleaning; Email; Europe; Friendship; International travel; Islam; Jacksonville (Fla.); Meeting; Miami (Fla.); Middle East; Mozambique; New Orleans (La.); Nicaraguans; Peace Corps (U.S.); Refugees; Retirement; San Diego (Calif.); Selling; Severance pay; South Africa; Stress; Sun Microsystems; Teaching; Travel; Twins; Volunteer; Volunteers; Work

Partial Transcript: And did not start working again officially [sighs] until I came to Kentucky in 200--October of 2007.

Segment Synopsis: Borie recalls when he moved to Kentucky in order to get a job at the Toyota plant in Georgetown. Borie then lists some of the positions he has held since leaving Toyota, mostly in higher education.

Keywords: Alternative spring break; Application; Assembly line; Efficiency; Excel; Finished; Grandmother; Grant; House; Improvement; Improvements; Kentucky Refugee Ministries; Left; Medical brigades; Medical clinic; Open; Position; Program coordinator; Project development; Santo Domingo (Ecuador); Shoulder to Shoulder Global; TMMK; Temporary agency; Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky; Two year contract; Volunteer work

Subjects: Business; Central America; Colorado State University; Confidence; Contacts; Cooperation; Ecuador; Education; Education, higher; Experience; Faculty; Frankfort (Ky.); Georgetown (Ky.); High school; Kentucky; Kentucky State University; Learning; Lexington (Ky.); Nicaragua; Organization; Peace Corps (U.S.); People; Physical therapy; Process; Refugees; Staff; Students; Substitute teaching; Sun Microsystems; Toyota automobiles; Travel; Undergraduate; University of Kentucky; Work

Partial Transcript: --Um--little different angle. What--um--what do you think the impact of your Peace Corps service was on Nicaragua or the people in Nicaragua?

Segment Synopsis: Borie talks about the impacts of his Peace Corps service on Nicaragua and Nicaraguans.

Keywords: Achievement; Bachelor's degree; Barber; Classes; Close ties; Coach; Community; Computer; Computer school; Contact; Direct impact; Eating; Established; Excited; Family; Grassroots; Help; Impact; Multicultural; Non-substantial; Practice; Rare; Return; Savings and loans cooperatives; Scholarship program; Thrilled; Today; Visit; Warehouse

Subjects: Children; Community development; Economic development; Education; English; Father; Girls; High school; High school teachers; Memory; Mother; Nabisco Brands, Inc; Nicaragua; Nicaraguans; Parents; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Nicaragua; Soccer; Students; Teacher; Teaching; Telephone calls; Trucks; United States; Work

Partial Transcript: . . . What would you say was the impact on you?

Segment Synopsis: Borie explains how Peace Corps has impacted his life. Borie also considers how his Peace Corps service affected his family.

Keywords: Alone; CNN; Community; Dinner; Divorce papers; Eating; Extra food; Family; Frantic; Friends; Greater; Inaccurate; Matured; Met; Movies; Outside; Policy analyst; Return; Secure; Site assignment; Sitting; Stable; Strike; Transition; Unmarried

Subjects: Africa; Age; Brothers; Camping; Chaos; Communication; Confidence; Current events; Divorce; Flies; Food; Independence; International travel; Kenya; Law; Learning; Middle East; Mother; Parents; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Nicaragua; Personality; Perspective; Starvation; Suspicion; Trust; Washington (D.C.); Work; Worry

Partial Transcript: And what would you say in terms of Peace Corps and its impact on what your career--uh--has--

Segment Synopsis: Borie evaluates the impact of his Peace Corps service on his career path. Borie also discusses the deep connection he feels with Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and how this bond they share helps in his professional life.

Keywords: Boss; Can; Care packages; Certificate; Close; Connections; Council; Domino effect; Family; Friends; Grateful; Hometown; Impact; International work; Master's degree; Medical brigades; Minor; Office; Personal; Program coordinator; Returned Peace Corps Volunteer; Sent; Spam; Spam party

Subjects: Africa; Age; Beans; Bond; Candy; Career; Contacts; Ecuador; Email; Empathy; Experience; Faculty; Food; Friendship; Global health; High school; Meeting; Mother; Nicaragua; Opportunity; Peace Corps (U.S.); People; Rice; Shock; Spanish; Understanding; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky. College of Dentistry; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: . . . Peace Corps--uh--the impact of Peace Corps in sort of--uh--how you think about the world or what's going on in the world now?

Segment Synopsis: Borie assesses how Peace Corps has changed his world views. Borie considers the overall impact of Peace Corps, both at home and abroad.

Keywords: Before; Boss; Connections; Grassroots; Help; Hometown; Host families; Ignorance; Influence; Informed; Life changing; Master's degree; News; Realization; Returned Peace Corps Volunteers; Role; Study abroad; Today; Uneducated

Subjects: Americans; Awareness; Change; Church; Communities; Community development; Culture; Current events; Experience; Federal government; Frankfort (Ky.); Home; Interpersonal relationships; Kentucky; Kentucky State University; Knowledge; Leaders; Life; Mother; National Public Radio (U.S.); Nicaragua; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Nicaragua; Perspective; Poverty; Racism; Sharing; Stereotypes (Social psychology); Travel; United States; Volunteers; Work; World; World views; Youth

Partial Transcript: What--what haven't we talked about--uh--that you would like to talk about . . .

Segment Synopsis: Borie shares some final thoughts on what he learned in Peace Corps.

Keywords: Bad; Car; Decision; Decisions; Family; Feelings; House; Insecure; Leaving; Lessons; New; Note; Realization; Savings and loan cooperative; School; Site assignment; Slacking off; Unmarried; Visiting

Subjects: Aging; Education; Experience; High school; Home; Learning; Life; Mail; Nicaragua; Nicaraguans; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Nicaragua; Perspective; Responsibility; Society; Value; Values; Volunteers; Woman; Work; Work ethic