In celebration of the Peace Corps’ 57th anniversary on March 1, the agency kicked off Peace Corps Week to commemorate the contributions of volunteers and their communities worldwide.
“Peace Corps volunteers develop enduring connections with the people and places where they serve. Communities around the globe welcome volunteers into their hearts and homes. This year, Peace Corps Week is about sharing these life-changing experiences and honoring the communities volunteers call home during their service.”—Acting Peace Corps Director Sheila Crowley
Volunteering in the Peace Corps fits perfectly with Shenandoah’s mission to create global citizens. Shenandoah University educates and inspires individuals to be critical, reflective thinkers; lifelong learners; and ethical, compassionate citizens who are committed to making responsible contributions within a community, a nation and the world.
Through the global experiences offered at Shenandoah these students have decided to join the Peace Corps!
Brenda Nieves ’18
I’m a senior English Major Sociology Minor. I’m from the Bronx, New York.
I will be an English Teacher/ Teacher Trainer and I will be serving in Indonesia. I knew I wanted to go abroad and help others after my GCP trip to South Africa. I enjoyed representing Shenandoah University abroad and learning about another culture. Luckily, my Sociology professor Kim Fendley had a Peace Corps representative come talk about the organization. Once I heard their mission statement, I knew that this was what I wanted to do. Now that I know I’m going after graduation, I can’t wait to teach children from another country! It’s a dream come true!
Maddie Albornoz ’18
My major is Public Health and I have a minor in Business Administration.
I will be a working as a Community Health Educator in Cameroon.
I applied for the peace corps for many reasons. In a practical sense the peace corps is a great way to gain work experience and they provide many benefits including housing, salary, and lifetime eligibility to many scholarships.
In a less practical level, I was searching for new adventure. I have had the privilege of studying abroad in three different countries with SU, I knew that I would have to find a way to combine my love for travel and my desire to give back to the world in a real tangible way.
I am leaving SU with the hope of continuing to represent the core values that have been instilled in my by the university, I hope that one day I can claim the title of global citizen proudly and I also hope to continue to do all the good I can by all the means I can, in all the places I can, at all the times I can, to all the people I can, as long as ever I can.
William Abbott ‘16
I graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance.
After utilizing Career Services to explore different career paths, they helped prepare me for an interview with the Peace Corps. When the time for my interview arrived, I was polished, confident, and excited to share why I wanted to serve. The interview went exceedingly well and I am currently serving in the Peace Corps Service in the People’s Republic of China!
I started my 27 months as a Peace Corps volunteer in China on June 14, 2017. I will be teaching English to college students in central-western China.
Global Citizenship Project
These students global experiences started on trips with Shenandoah! Brenda traveled to South Africa on GCP 2017 and Maddie traveled to Nepal on GCP 2015 and then studied abroad at The University of Winchester in England.
The GCP 2018 groups are leaving today for experiences around the globe in Uruguay, Iceland, Spain, China, and Rwanda! There may be more SU Peace Corps volunteers in the making this week!
