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Perspective on Volunteering for Peace, At and After Penn
By Beth Sussman
The Daily Pennsylvanian
Philadelphia, Pa.
October 2, 2007
EXCERPT:
Andy Nottestad grabbed a hamburger with some new friends at New Deck Tavern last week.
But he wasn't just eating dinner - he was saying good bye to his American way of life, at least for the next two and a half years.
"There's nothing more American than a hamburger," he said.
Nottestad, 27, is a volunteer in the Peace Corps, and his last stop before leaving for the Gambia region of Africa was Philadelphia for an orientation.
The Peace Corps is a government agency that sends volunteers to underdeveloped nations to aid with projects related to health, education, business, information technology, the environment and agriculture.
Once the volunteers arrive in the country where they are serving, they undergo a 10-week training session that is specific to their country.
But the Peace Corps holds a three-day "staging event" for new volunteers before they leave the country to give them an overview of Peace Corps' practices and what to expect once they arrive at their destination.
Behind Washington, Philadelphia is the most popular location for the events. About 40 staging events are held in hotels all around Philadelphia - including the University City Sheraton - each year, according to Peace Corps training specialist Elizabeth Erickson.
For the volunteers who complete the staging event in Philadelphia, the city provides their last glimpse of America and last chance to take advantage of American amenities before their service.
David Stewart, 53, joined the Peace Corps with his wife. They came to Philadelphia a day early and walked around campus a bit. "It's a pretty cool town," he said.
The average age of a Peace Corps volunteer is 27, illustrating that joining right out of college isn't the only option.
"I was surprised because I know the Peace Corps has a wide range of ages, but I thought the majority of volunteers would be like myself, recent grads," Shintani said.
Five percent of volunteers are over the age of 50, and the oldest current volunteer is 79.
Stewart explained that he was at an age when he wanted to give something back.
"We've had a pretty successful life, and we're tired of the everyday rat race," he said.
Despite playing host to a number of departing volunteers each year, University City is connected to the Peace Corps in a much more direct way.
In 2006, 34 Penn alumni entered the Peace Corps out of about 4,000 volunteers who start each year.
That year, Penn was ranked No. 12 for producing volunteers among medium-sized universities. In 2005, Penn was No. 8, sending 42 volunteers.
Civic House, the campus hub for community service, and Career Services work together to advise students who are considering the Peace Corps as a post-graduation option.
Additionally, the Peace Corps sends a representative to campus to recruit potential volunteers.
Last year, the Peace Corps had an on-campus recruiter specifically for Penn. Penn community is now serviced by Rebi Wong, the Philadelphia-area recruiter.
While Penn does send a good number of volunteers each year - 799 Penn alumni have served in the Peace Corps since it started in 1961 - there is definitely room for improvement, Wong said.
That's how Penn alumnus Alex Harris started exploring the Peace Corps.
Harris, who graduated in 2006, is now serving as an environmental-education volunteer in Armenia.
He majored in Environmental Studies and Political Science at Penn, and he said his Environmental Studies professors were very helpful and supportive when he was making his decision to join the Peace Corps.
The Environmental Studies Department talked about the Peace Corps and other service programs "as not only legitimate things to do after graduation, but [it] also regard[s] these programs as giving important experience for later careers," Harris wrote in an e-mail.
After completing as giving important experience for later careers," Harris wrote in an e-mail.
After completing their two and a half years of service, Peace Corps members finish with new skills that help them in their next step - which may include graduate school at Penn.
Bradley Dakake completed his service in Uzbekistan and Moldova in May and immediately got ready to start his MBA at Wharton.
About 15 other current MBA students were Peace Corps volunteers before graduate school in a program of about 1,600.
Dakake says he couldn't have ended up where he is now without his time in the Peace Corps. In fact, he had no idea he wanted to go into business until he taught a business seminar for schoolchildren in his village.
"I knew Peace Corps would teach me technical skills that I could use later in life as well as give me an experience that would show employers or grad schools how I was capable of overcoming any type of challenge," Harris wrote.
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