by Lorraine Berry

Daniel Reifsteck '84 was a biology major at IC. His skills as a scientist were put to work in Jamaica, where he served as a fisheries officer from 1985 to 1987 --- collecting scientific data on fish, conch, and lobster stocks, drafting management plans for local fisheries, performing catch surveys, and working with local fishermen to document the historic fishing techniques fading from use.

"I was very well trained in scientific thought and process by IC professors like Dr. [Mildred] Brammer and Dr. [John] Confer," Reifsteck says. "And three years working as an RA taught a young kid from a farming community a lot about the problems other people face daily. Listening, advocating, and empathizing were great social skills that I carried to Jamaica." Among his duties was presenting educational programs at schools about preservation of the island's natural resources.

When most people think of Jamaica they picture the resort beaches that are advertised in the Sunday travel sections. Yet "Jamaica was very much a land of extremes," Reifsteck says. "The most horrendous life experiences swirled around with the most beautiful."

Reifsteck, like many returned PCVs, says that personal relationships were extremely important. "I worked with two small brothers at an orphanage. They were five and seven years old, both extremely visually impaired. I would read to them, take them out for the day. Their smiles, I think, were the most memorable thing from my time there."