For 25-year-old Adrell Mable, life has taken some interesting turns. Currently, her career has led her to Albania, where she has served for the last year as a Peace Corps volunteer.
Mable, 25, grew up in Gary and later moved to Crown Point, where she graduated from Crown Point High School in 2017. She said has found a world quite different from Northwest Indiana which has now become like a second home.
“I have learned so much about myself and the world as a whole,” Mable said. “I have also learned a lot about life and what it truly means to be happy. …The life here in Albania is very slow and quiet, in comparison to the life I had in America. It has been so rewarding to not have to rush all the time and pay closer attention to the smaller details in life. I know my life won’t always look this way, so I am very happy for what it is now. I have learned how to be more resourceful and creative than I have ever been before, as my community does not have a lot of resources.”
Albania is a country in southern Europe, located in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula. Forests cover about one-third of Albania, which also has a mountainous geography.
About one-third of the population lives in poverty and since the early 1990s, many younger Albanians have left the country to find work, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.
Mable is one of 60 volunteers at her post, known as PeaceCorps Albania and Montenegro, but they are spaced out across the country, each with their own community.
“We are from all over the U.S.,” Mable said. “We have many different cultures represented as well, which has been beautiful to see and learn more about.”
President John F. Kennedy founded the Peace Corps in 1961 as a network of individuals traveling to and serving communities across the world.
Mable mainly works as an educator in a school in the south of Albania, but her volunteer work extends from painting murals to leading Zumba classes, among other health and youth-focused activities in the community.
“Good health is wealth,” Mable said. “I think we oftentimes underestimate the importance of good healthy practices and how that in turn affects our health. If kids prioritize their health and learn the importance at a young age, they will build healthy habits for their future.”
In her work teaching English classes at the youth center, she also hosts writing competitions and engages students in conversations about world news.
“During the summer, there were also several round table discussions where we talked about important topics in the news and around the world,” Mable said. “I try to instill in them that they have a role in this world too, no matter how young they are. We have brainstormed solutions to the problems they see in their community and the ways in which they can help. We have also talked about mental health and how important it is for them to take care of their mental health.”
Mable’s path to where she is now began when she was a young teen Her first experiences with medicine happened when her grandfather was diagnosed with throat cancer.
“At that time, I was in seventh grade,” Mable said. “My mom brought me to every single appointment. I remember strolling the halls of the University of Chicago hospital and my mind wandering with imagination. I became so curious about the field of medicine, and specifically, what doctors do to take care of patients. I knew then that I wanted to pursue a career in medicine.”
Later in life, Mable’s interest in the PeaceCorps was sparked when she met a recruiter while she attended Butler University.
“A few months before graduating from my master’s program, I was searching for an opportunity that would allow me to serve in a community and culture I had never known before,” Mable said. “I also wanted the position to be health-focused and for a longer period of time.”
She applied and was accepted in February of 2023. A few months after graduating with her master’s degree, she started her service in October of 2023. For the first three months, volunteers are tasked with learning the language and culture of the place they’d like to serve in. After that, they can be sworn in for two years of service.
In her time in Albania, she has grown close friendships and mentorships and learned from their culture, especially their food.
“I should also add that Albanian people are generally very hospitable and welcoming,” Mable said. “I truly enjoy cooking and baking, so having the opportunity to learn some of the traditional dishes from the natives here has been one of my joys. I have also enjoyed learning the history behind many of the cultural practices and listening to the wisdom that is shared from the older generations.”
After her two-year service period ends in December 2025, she plans to attend medical school and specialize in women’s health.
“I would love to open up my own women’s clinic one day where my team and I can provide healthcare and healthcare education to women in underserved communities,” Mable said.
Anna Ortiz is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
