Elinor Lichtenberg

Inspiring the Pursuit of Education in Guinea:

Dr. Elinor Lichtenberg’s Time in Lafou, Guinea (2003-2004)

 

After a long day of teaching mathematics, Dr. Elinor Lichtenberg was surprised when a student she had never met before approached her for help with their French homework. All of the classes at her middle school were taught in French, so it was important for the students to know it well.

She had always wanted to be professor, so the moments she saw students learn were some of her proudest while she was in Guinea.

Although she had planned to pursue academia in ecology, Dr. Lichtenberg always knew she wanted to serve in the Peace Corps.

“I served because I want to, in some little way, help make the world a better place, but also, I wanted the experience of living really deeply in another culture.” Lichtenberg said.

Guinea has a history of anti-intellectual leadership, so encouraging education was vital to Dr. Lichtenberg’s time in service.

“Being a female middle school teacher in that culture and being someone who very clearly cares about learning, I think I was able to serve as a role model,” Lichtenberg said. “I think that’s probably the biggest impact I had.”

While Dr. Lichtenberg worked on secondary projects such as organizing an International Women’s Day Event and student plays encouraging girls to go to school, she primarily focused on her teaching.

She lived in an area with many other government officials and connected with her neighbors. She considered them to be her family during her service and spent much of her free time with them, talking and eating.

Unlike most Peace Corps stations now, her region in Guinea did not have electricity or running water, so she spent her nights writing letters and reading.

“A lot of things are very hard, but then, some really neat things happen too,” Lichtenberg said.

Although she battled snakes and scorpions out of her dwelling, she also had opportunities to connect with the people around her.

In one experience, she hiked up a mountain with her fellow Volunteers and got caught in a thunderstorm. They linked arms and crossed a flooded creek together. She also recalls many broken down vehicles and other inconvenient situations as fond memories.

“Those types of things are definitely bonding experiences,” Lichtenberg said.

Throughout her time in Guinea, Dr. Lichtenberg picked up a lot of life skills that she can still use today, such as purifying water.

“I do think that the skills you develop like adaptability, problem solving…those skills will benefit you in any career,” Lichtenberg said.

After her time in service, Dr. Lichtenberg went on to achieve the National Science Foundation Research Fellowship and earn her PhD in Biological Sciences at the University of California, San Diego.

During graduate school, Dr. Lichtenberg visited Brazil for her research, and was able to apply her experience of living in a less developed country to thrive during her time in Brazil.

“I think I’m much more comfortable now, because of both of those experiences, not understanding what’s going on or why certain things are happening, and just accepting that and dealing with the situation in front of me,” Lichtenberg said.

Now, Dr. Lichtenberg conducts research at UNT as an assistant professor in the Biology Department, focusing on ecology, behavior, and conservation of pollinators. She teaches Behavioral Ecology for upper-level and graduate students, along with Environmental Science for Non-Majors. Seeing her students learn is still her favorite part of teaching.

 

^{Written and Edited by Eliana Fulton, B.A. Journalism Student at UNT
Interviewed by Zach Yeager, Peace Corps Prep Coordinator}