Story of Peace
Washington Township High School Graduate Speaks to French Classes about Time in Peace Corps in Burkina Faso
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP – Washington Township High School graduate Bethany Burns-Lynch was a special guest in her alma mater’s French classes on Thursday, May 24th, speaking to the current students about her experience in the Peace Corps.
After graduating from WTHS in 2011, Burns-Lynch enrolled in Temple University and earned a degree in History. She immediately joined the Peace Corps and embarked on a 27-month education sector experience in Burkina Faso, West Africa. There, after three months of training, she taught English at the middle school level for two years.
“In my host family, nobody spoke English. That was the best way to learn a language. I didn’t have a choice,” Burns-Lynch said, noting she had to learn French, as well as two regional dialects, to help with communication.
In addition to teaching English in classes of 50 to 70 students, Burns-Lynch also assisted in a Gender Development/Health Education program, with a focus on birth control and safe sexual practices.
After her time was complete, Burns-Lynch applied for a third-year extension in Burkina Faso, but that was cut short when the Peace Corps pulled out of the country due to political unrest. She is going back to school in the fall, when she will enroll in the Master of Public Health program at Emory University.
-WTPS -