Buenas (Greetings)! My name is Joseph Levy, but most of the time I go by Joey. However, here in Belize, my host family calls me Jose or Chepe (a nickname for Jose). I am 23 years old and am originally from Evanston, IL. I've also lived in Seattle, WA, New Orleans, LA, and even Barcelona, Spain, for 5 months! Evanston will always be home to me, though.
I am the youngest of 4 boys,s and I even have a twin. Having 3 brothers, our house was always loud, competitive, and full of sports. That is where my love of sports, especially hockey, started. I have been ice skating since I was two years old and playing hockey since I was 5. Growing up, I also played soccer, baseball, basketball, volleyball, and lacrosse, but I stuck with ice hockey and lacrosse because those were my favorites.
After highschool I left Chicago and headed down south to study at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. In college, I studied Psychology and Real Estate, while also playing on the club lacrosse team for 3 of my 4 years there. Every summer during college, I went up to Northern Wisconsin and worked at Camp Timberlane for Boys as a head counselor, Assistant Director, and a waterskiing instructor.
After college, I was looking for opportunities that would combine my love for sports, my passion for psychology, and the ability to work with youth. I also wanted to live outside of the US for a little while and learn about new cultures, languages, and ways of life. That is what led me to find the US Peace Corps. The Peace Corps is a program that has been around for over 60 years, which sends American volunteers to developing countries to work on locally prioritized goals, all while promoting peace and friendship.
The program I am a part of now is called the YES project. YES stands for Youth Empowered by Sports, and the goal is, through working with primary schools and the National Sports Council of Belize, to get the youth of Belize involved in sports and provide them with the ability to learn important life skills, such as teamwork, respect, positive self-image, and many others, in a fun way. It also gave me the opportunity to live in a small village in the south of Belize, where I am learning Spanish and all about Belizean culture.
I am excited to share my adventures with you all and cannot wait to hear about your journeys through the school year and answer any questions you may have about my experiences!
Peace Corps Volunteers like me live and work side by side with community members around the world, collaborating on locally prioritized projects, building relationships, exchanging cultures and knowledge, and helping transform lives for generations. Learn more by clicking here.
