Episode 8: Ralph Cherry (RPCV Ghana)

In this episode, we are joined by RPCV Ralph Cherry, who served as an Education Volunteer in Ghana in the early 1970s.Ralph shares his compelling journey to the Peace Corps—initially driven by a desire to avoid the Vietnam War draft—and how it evolved into a life-changing experience marked by both profound love and personal struggle. As a gay man serving during a time when his identity had to remain hidden, Ralph opens up about falling in love with one of his students, the emotional toll it took, and the moment he nearly chose to early terminate.What changed everything? Listen to find out! An image of Ralph from his service in Ghana is available in the show notes.https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LB7e7chUglJVdOSZvVIg7FNQ4--IkhFG/view?usp=sharinghttps://drive.google.com/file/d/13cvfRORuRXi-6Py99P0Bigvo5zZYG823/view?usp=sharing------A recording with a transcript of this episode is available via Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you enjoy this LGBTQI+ RPCV content please consider joining our growing community at ⁠www.lgbtqirpcv.org⁠. If you have questions about our community please contact us at ⁠[email protected]⁠.All opinions presented in this podcast are those of the individual and do not represent official positions or statements by the US Peace Corps, the National Peace Corps Association, or any other affiliated organizations.