Jacob Dibley
Class of 2002

Majors: Elementary Education with Middle School
Endorsements: Language Arts, Math, Social Sciences

Hometown: Rock Valley, IA

Current Place of Residence: Cape Point, The Gambia
Employer: Banjul American Embassy School
Position: 4-8th Grade Language Arts & Social Studies Teacher

Q. You graduated from Augustana in 2002. What have you been up to since then?

A. "In August of 2002 I moved to Kotzebue, Alaska. Kotzebue is an Inupiaq (in-u-pack) Eskimo Village 33 miles north of the Arctic Circle. I was a 7th Grade Math, Social Studies, Reading and Health teacher for the Northwest Arctic Borough School District from 2002-2004. I returned to Rock Valley in August of 2004 for a year of substitute teaching in Sioux Falls. The flexible schedule allowed me to travel, take a few classes, and figure out where I wanted to go next. This past May I accepted a position to teach in the Gambia. I arrived here on August 28, and I am in the first year of a two-year contract. Along with teaching I have been working with kids during the summer months as well. The summer of 2000 was my first as a counselor for Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp in Kalispell, Montana. For six summers I returned to FLBC serving in different capacities."

Q. How did you get hooked up with teaching in Alaska? What was it like (and what made you want to do such a thing)?

A. "During the summer of my senior year at Augustana I spent 8 weeks in Nagoya, Japan as part of my student teaching requirement. While I was there, I was applying for teaching positions back in the U.S. I had a phone interview with the NWABSD, and was offered the 7th grade position.

My students in Kotzebue were primarily Inupiaq. I had seventy 7th graders. Along with academics, discipline was a significant part of my job. I would compare living in Kotzebue to living on a Native American Reservation back in the Lower 48.

I was looking for adventure and a change of scenery when I took the Alaskan job. I enjoy being in the outdoors, and I knew "bush" Alaska would be one with a lot of outdoor activities. Also, after traveling to Asia with the Augie Concert band in January '99, I knew that I wanted to experience other cultures of the world as more than just a tourist. To becaome part of a different culture, rather than looking in from the outside, is an empowering experience."

Q. You then went to The Gambia. What made you choose The Gambia?

A. "I chose The Gambia because of its size, location, and reputation. It is a small, quiet country with a low crime rate compared to other places I considered (I also interviewed with a school in Kuwait and was in contact with a school in Sudan). With the same amenities issues, but lower crime rate in comparison, we've come to fondly think of The Gambia as "Africa for Beginners". My classes have students from a wide variety of backgrounds... the U.S., Scotland, the U.K., Ethiopia and France, to name a few. Most of the students have lived in at least one other country and speak two or more languages. After doing some research and emailing the headmaster, I knew that I would be a good match for what the Gambia had to offer."

Q. Can you compare the two experiences?

A. "In both places I was/am the minority, which takes some getting used to. It was one of the more difficult adjustments when I first moved to Alaska, and something I'm still adjusting to here in Africa. It truly has helped me understand how difficult it is for minority students and families living in the predominantly caucasian Midwest.

Another similarity is the role subsistence plays in each culture. In Kotzebue, hunting caribou and mosse along with fishing for salmon and pike were a way of life. With about sixty miles of Atlantic coast and one of the world's more navigable rivers, The Gambia's principle subsistence activity is fishing. Subsistence living in both cultures not only provides a means for food, but a way to keep cultural values alive.

One big difference is the value placed on education. In Alaska many of the students struggled to motivate themselves academically, whereas in Africa, I'll hear a big 'YESSS!' from students when I give them homework."