Alumnus Update: Michael Bonett Jr
I was so pleased to receive an email from Michael Bonett, Jr., my former student and advisee in the English Department. He writes:
After I graduated from George Washington University, I worked in Maryland for a year. During this time, I got published on my birthday in Mindflights magazine. I left to be a Peace Corps Volunteer in Georgia in June of 2008. My assignment in that Eastern European country was to be an English teacher. When the conflict with Russia broke out, my fellow volunteers and I were evacuated to Armenia. I stayed there until I transferred to Peace Corps: Micronesia in September of 2008.
I currently teach English to ninth graders on Kosrae, known as the “Island of the Sleeping Lady” because of the shape of its beautiful mountains. Kosrae is most famous for its singing. In particular, its Christmas marching event is world-renowned. I had the pleasure of participating in the event in my own village and it was amazing. In the village of Lelu are the ruins of a basalt fortress that dates back to 1400 A.D., where the ancient Kosraean kings lived. There are numerous Japanese WWII sites, including a series of tunnels in Mt. Ohma.
To say that my post-GW experience has been interesting would be an understatement. I’ve been to Georgian feasts known as supras, attended a wrestling festival, and played chess with the T’bilisi champion. I’ve sung informally in Gerhard Monastery in Armenia and on television during Kosraean Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. I’ve attended Georgian Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, and Kosraean Protestant church services. My job is excellent and the people I work with are relaxed and easygoing. Overall, my education at GW has provided me with opportunities that have been far more exciting than I’ve ever imagined.
Thanks for writing us Michael — and we wish you all the best in the adventures ahead!
