Retirees In Touch
Ray and Yen-ti Verg-in, Two Decades in Micronesia
Ray Verg-in had just retired from teaching in Sand Point,
Alaska when he discovered an advertisement for two
teaching positions in Majuro on the Marshall Islands
chain. Majuro is the capital and largest city of the
Marshall Islands and is located just north of the equator.
It is an atoll—a ring-shaped reef—25 miles long with a
total land area of four square miles. Within a week of
applying, a contract and transportation voucher was sent
from the CO-OP School and Ray and his wife Yen-ti had
decided to trade the frozen north for the melting south.
After packing some essentials, the Verg-ins left for the
equator to start their new adventure. Little did they
know they would spend the next 20 years in the
Micronesia region.
During their time in Majuro, they learned to scuba dive
and explored most of the corners of the island. They
beachcombed, snorkeled vibrant coral reefs, experienced
severe drought, and a devastating typhoon. After a year
full of new experiences, they moved on to their next
station in Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia, teaching math at the College of Micronesia.
Pohnpei is a beautiful island amid tropical rainforests,
mangroves, high mountains, and waterfalls. During the
weekdays Ray and Yen-ti worked hard and taught, but
on the weekends, they fished, camped, and played.
During breaks from school, the Verg-ins managed to
travel, packing in an African safari during their
Christmas break one year. However, every year as school
concluded, Ray and Yen-ti returned to Alaska to
commercial fish east of the Aleutian chain.
Two decades of snowbird lifestyle worked well for the
retirees, but after 20 years of roaming, the wanderlust
faded, and they soon decided it was time to return home
to Alaska.
“Here we are in the lovely town of Kenai, which we’ll call
home—maybe—for the NEXT 20 years.”
