A Mercer University alumna is teaching English in Indonesia as a Peace Corps education volunteer.
Laura Morrissey, who graduated in 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in global health studies, was sworn in as a volunteer in December 2025 and will serve until December 2027. Prior to her swearing in, she participated in three months of intensive pre-service training, which covered teaching English as a foreign language skills and strategies, language training, cultural competency and integration, health and wellness, and safety and security.
“My role as a Peace Corps volunteer is to promote world peace and friendship through community-based development and service,” Morrissey said in an email interview from Indonesia. “Volunteers aim to meet the need for trained men and women, promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the people served, and promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of all Americans.”
As an education volunteer, her project goal is to help students in a local school develop communication skills in English that are necessary to access academic and professional opportunities and achieve success. She works alongside an Indonesian counterpart, and the two of them exchange teaching skills and strategies.
Morrissey lives with a host family in a semi-urban village in West Java, Indonesia. Each day, she wakes up at 6:30 a.m. and takes a short walk to the school at 7:30 a.m. She teaches one class on Monday and two classes Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday, she plans her lessons. Her workday ends at 2:30 p.m., when she walks home to spend time with her host mother.
“On nearly every street there are small local shops selling food, drinks or household goods. Some are mobile shops that play a tune to attract customers,” she said. “I have noticed that people regularly gather for community events and support one another. Indonesian culture is deeply communal, so when someone needs help, people are not afraid to ask. Relationships with family and neighbors are extremely important.”
When she’s not working, she’s usually practicing Bahasa Indonesia, the official language of Indonesia; talking with community members; or reading a book. Morrissey said in-depth conversations in Bahasa Indonesia are challenging because she lacks certain vocabulary, so she continues her language training by using online language tools and completing language workbooks provided by Peace Corps Indonesia staff.
She’s taken great joy in witnessing her students gain confidence in English.
“The majority of the students are very shy and afraid to make mistakes,” she said. “Seeing the moment when a student finally understands something that they were previously struggling with makes everything worthwhile and allows me to see the direct impact I am making as a volunteer.”
Morrissey said her coursework and study abroad experiences at Mercer helped prepare her for the Peace Corps. At the University, she was a member of the Association of Global Health, Phi Sigma Iota foreign language honor society and Phi Eta Sigma honor society. She participated in three spring break faculty-led programs to Mexico, France and Cuba, as well as Mercer On Mission programs in Mexico and Ecuador.
A strong call to service led Morrissey to apply for the Peace Corps.
“Peace Corps is the perfect opportunity to gain hands-on experience, immerse myself in a new culture, and build meaningful relationships while making a sustainable, long-lasting impact in the community I serve,” she said.
