Creating Awareness, Giving Back

As an undergraduate at Grinnell College in Iowa, John Aerni dreamed of studying abroad. But as an All-American on the track and cross country team, his schedule did not allow for it.

After graduating with a B.A. in history and a secondary education teaching license, John seized an opportunity to teach at a high school in Lesotho, a mountainous enclave country surrounded by South Africa.

He became interested in Lesotho through his undergraduate adviser, a historian who served there in the Peace Corps. John says, “I liked the 'underdog' status of the country, always living, literally, in the shadow of South Africa and its fascinating history, so I was very curious about how a country like that could survive.” So, at age 22, John found himself teaching English, English literature, Math and Chemistry at St. Rodrigue High School, where some students were older than he was. “Almost everyone I met was incredibly friendly and helpful,” John says. “I was welcomed into many different houses and communities. People were genuinely nice.”

When he wasn’t teaching, he spent his free time running in the mountainous region. When he returned from Lesotho, John entered his first marathon - Cincinnati’s Flying Pig - and finished in first place.

Today, he spends his time as a graduate student in the Department of History’s Ph.D. program, where his teaching background has played a great role. History professor Timothy Parsons praises John’s abilities and attributes his success as a teaching assistant to “experience and quiet leadership abilities.” His demeanor and determination no doubt contribute to his accomplishments as both a great teacher and long distance runner.

John’s journey doesn’t stop here. Now that he has completed his third year of graduate school, he will return to Lesotho to conduct his own research. John plans to capture oral histories of the years leading up to the country’s independence in 1966, specifically the role played by Lesotho youth. “I want to study the history, in part, to give back for all of the kindness that people showed a scared 22-year old.”

“I have always been more interested in less-well-known histories and Lesotho certainly qualifies. Just because it has not been in American curricula for many years, doesn't mean that there are no lessons for us. I think American high school and college students would be well served learning more 'non-traditional' histories to broaden their base of knowledge and make them more sensitive to possibilities they may not have considered.”

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