Retired Peace Corps Volunteer captures Samoan journey in Full Circle

By Talaia Mika

APIA, SAMOA – 15 DECEMBER 2021: One of the remaining American Peace Corps volunteers who first arrived in Samoa in late 1972 has captured her journey and experiences in a book – Full Circle which will be launched in Apia later tonight.

A farm girl from the Black Hills of South Dakota, 25 year old Jackie was transplanted on a small Pacific Island – built roots, fell in love and married a Samoan matai three years after she arrived.

“I found my destination so I stayed,” Jackie told Talamua. She continues to live in Samoa with her four children and six of seven grandchildren.

In commemoration of the 60^th anniversary of the US Peace Corps in Samoa and around the globe last week, Jackie Faasisila shared with Talamua her story and why she remained in Samoa for 49 years.

She had completed her Bachelor in Education and Masters in American History and she wanted to teach but back then in America, people don’t get paid enough for Bachelors and it was difficult to get a job.

In the course of her Masters study, she applied for a place in the Peace Corps and got a calling in the South Pacific even though she knew nothing about Samoa.

“I never heard of Western Samoa and I could hardly find it on the map and so I came as a volunteer back then and I’m still here. I never had a passport so when I was invited to come to the South Pacific, I said oh why not,” she said.

“I spend most of those years here, I did spend one year back in South Dakota with my husband and my eldest daughter who was seven months old at the time and then in 2018, I retired and I went back and spend two and a half years with my elderly mother in South Dakota.”

It is this multi-cultural journey of 49 years in Samoa and going back to the Black Hills and back again, that is reflected in the books title – Full Circle.

“Samoa is a wonderful place and I met a man, the people are beautiful and I really love Samoa.”

“I was invited to develop curriculum when I arrived and got trained and I was told I would be better in teaching and after two years of teaching people how to teach, I moved to Aleipata and I taught the first Form Five class there.”

Jackie Faasisila’s journey and experiences as captured in Full Circle shows how her life evolved against the backdrop of Samoa’s development, changes and natural disasters. Over her four decades here, a lot has changed in the education system itself.

“Back then, most of the teachers were just School C standards and some hadn’t even finished school but now that has changed,” she said.

The seventy-four-years-old is now residing in Vailele with her husband and is a proud mother of four ‘half cast’ children.

She is a graduate of the University of Missouri – Kansas City. Prior to her calling as a Peace Corps volunteer, she was training to become a nun but decided to quit.

“People have different callings and back then in America, life was different as well as the environment so maybe this was my calling and Samoa is my home now,” she said.

Samoan writer Sia Figel describes the book as “a remarkably energetic and highly intimate memoir that explores multi-culturalism and transformative power of the human spirit.”

Over the years, Jackie has shared her stories with Peace Corps trainees and American Study Abroad students.

“Now I hope others will be interested,” she said.

“Many aspects of my life have been unique but I hope some of the experiences and feelings are universal.”

“Stories are powerful. They speak, teach and inspire. That’s what I hope Full Circle might do.”

The book launch is at 6.30 tonight at the Tiapapata Art Gallery.