Peace Corps

On Monday October 22nd I attended the Peace Corps Informational Session in Hagerty Hall to fulfill my non-IA requirement. I’ve been interested in joining the Peace Corps or some equivalent for much of my high school career; in fact, I remember trying to convince my parents to let me volunteer abroad instead of attending college. As a linguistics major, I’ve always been interested in teaching English and working with other languages. I was very excited to learn, then, that our presenter, Laura Joseph, actually volunteered as a language teacher in Benin, West Africa. She told us that language teachers are the most sought-after volunteer work for the Peace Corps, and there are many opportunities available for language teachers. As she described her own experience in her small town, I tried to picture myself in her shoes. Could I put in all the work and effort needed to help a community? Would I feel isolated from others? Would I be willing to open myself up to the people around me and truly try to understand their culture? While I’m not sure I have the answers to these questions yet, it was interesting to delve into her recollection of her experience. She truly abided by the principle that the Peace Corps is “the toughest job you’ll ever love”.

I’ve always been interested in working and volunteering abroad, but I was never sure what the next step would be after such an experience and how I would adjust back to a “normal” life. Luckily, the Peace Corps provides aid for veterans (or PCVs), such as money to use when you return, student loan deferment, and programs that help PCVs get into graduate school or a job. One benefit of Peace Corps that especially stood out to me was the ability to gain my TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Certificate after completing my volunteering abroad. I have looked into becoming a teacher and perhaps working as an ESL teacher in other countries as a possible profession. Also, gaining such a certificate would allow me to be more competitive for graduate schools and in the job market.

Of course, the main reason I would love to become a part of the Peace Corps is to serve others. I would gain many post-volunteering perks, but more importantly I would enhance the lives of others around me and become more open to new experiences. I am still continuing to look more into the Peace Corps and plan to apply after I graduate from Ohio State.

Stepping Stones into the World

On September 4th I attended the Study Abroad Expo at the Ohio Union to fulfill my academic requirement. As a prospective German minor, I was interested in the German language study abroad programs, especially the Dresden Summer Language Program. The Dresden Program would allow me to complete my minor and enhance my knowledge of the German language, and I would gain a cultural immersion that is unattainable here in the U.S. I also hope to move to Germany after I graduate college and work abroad, and this experience would be a perfect introduction into the German lifestyle. Ideally I would love to spend an entire summer abroad, but the Dresden Program lasts eight weeks. However, eight weeks is still a substantial amount of time to learn about contemporary daily life in Germany and hone my language skills.

Although I was initially drawn to the German language study abroad programs, I ended up at the Peace Corps booth. I have always enjoyed volunteering and helping others, and volunteering abroad has always interested me. The woman I spoke with had worked as an English teacher through the Peace Corps, and she told me that most volunteers work as teachers or help with projects in the community. As a linguistics major, working as a language teacher piqued my interest, as I would no doubt gain invaluable knowledge about language within the context of a culture. This opportunity would not only improve my academic abilities, but it would improve my entire character. I would learn to be more selfless, hardworking, and accepting than I am now, which would enrich not only my own life but also those surrounding me. The minimum commitment for the Peace Corps is two years, and while that is certainly a daunting amount of time, I can only imagine the amount of projects and goals I can accomplish while becoming a part of a community. Learning about the Peace Corps opened my eyes to all the ways I can serve the world, and perhaps sparked a new interest in me for my life past college.

Overall, I discovered new paths and directions for my future. I know that none of these opportunities would be possible without my education here at Ohio State. The International Affairs Scholars course has helped me to identify the multiple identities, crises, and cultures around the world, and the insight I gain in class could be applied to any of these programs. My goal is to understand the beliefs and cultures of those around me, and I hope these programs serve as a stepping stone into exploring and enriching the lives of others.

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

  • Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc.
  • Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
  • Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
  • Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
  • Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation includes both a description of the artifact and a reflection on why it is important to you, what you learned, and what it means for your next steps.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

About Me

[Your “About Me” is a brief biographical statement that might include your intended major, your academic interests, your goals, as well as the things that make you unique.  Definitely include a picture! Also, remember that you can always update this post at any point. For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]