GCHS Alumni: Where Are They Now? Mary Kirby Rhodes

Garden City High School has produced students with deep civic involvement. Mary Kirby Rhodes from the Class of 1964 is such a person.

How did Rhodes become so altruistic? Several people influenced her when young.

First and foremost, Rhodes’ parents, Maurice and Katherine Kirby, played a big part in her giving attitude. As their eldest daughter, she commented that dad Maurice was involved locally with Garden City government and the Mineola-Garden City Rotary Club.

Her mom, Katherine, was equally involved for many years with such organizations as the Garden City PTA, a scholarship fund and PAVES, the last being an organization supporting local teens looking for jobs in babysitting, lawn cutting and general help for residents.

“I don't remember my parents talking so much about helping others as just doing it - letting us know by example that service to others was an indispensable part of life,” Rhodes recalled.

At Garden City High School, teachers like Mrs. McNally (math), Mr. Formisano (American history) and Mr. Horton (English) influenced Rhodes and the College of New Rochelle (CNR) encouraged her to be a good American citizen.

“My encouragement to join the Peace Corps really came at college … It was a great time to be in college - time to get involved in things like civil rights, anti-war activities, etc … Activism was in the air, particularly at CNR where service and social involvement had and have a long tradition,” Rhodes said.

After Rhodes graduated in 1968 with a degree in math, she was ready to act on President Kennedy’s 1961 inaugural address where he declared, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” 

Many young people took Kennedy’s quote to heart. Rhodes was one who had been well-trained in helping others and she was looking for a “grand adventure.” She achieved it with her stay in Hosaina, Ethiopia from 1968 to 1970 with the Peace Corps.

In Ethiopia Rhodes taught junior high math and physics in a school for grades 1-12. During one summer, she also taught “new math” elsewhere in the province in a teacher training course.

Ethiopia is a landlocked country located in the horn of Africa with 62 million people. It is “an amazingly beautiful country with a long history. Being able to live and work in a [country] like Ethiopia…gives you a chance to begin to get to know the country and people,” Rhodes said. “Also, living abroad and interacting with my students and with teachers from Ethiopia and foreign contract teachers broadened my perspective. Throughout my time as a teacher and as a software engineer that experience has helped me to be able to work with people from different cultures.”  

Rhodes’ experience also helped at the university level when she returned to the U.S. in 1970 with experience in keeping students attentive in class. She taught math and computer science.

Currently, Rhodes lives in the San Francisco area where she works at Oracle Corporation, an information technology company.

“Joining the Peace Corps was a wonderful experience for me. I learned and experienced so much and formed some life-long friendships. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a ‘grand adventure,’” she said.

Editor's Note: 2011 marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Peace Corps.