Most people travel to another country for vacation or tourist trips, but for Meagan Hoff, going to another country meant being a part of the Peace Corps Fellows Program.
“Peace Corps Fellows Program is the full name of the Coverdell program cooperation between the Peace Corps and universities,” said Hoff. “They offer funding, scholarships and assistantships for volunteers when they return from their service.”
Hoff is a graduate assistant in the Master of Arts and Cross-Cultural and International Education program. She became a part of the PC Fellows on camps in 2008.
“We have just expanded the Fellows programs at BGSU for the second time,” said Hoff. “There will soon be 14 degree-offering Coverdell Fellows programs.”
This will make the University’s program one of the largest in the country.
In order to be a part of the Peace Corps, the volunteer needs to have a bachelor degree and experience in the field, so students who are considering it are encouraged to graduate from college first. In order to become a PC fellow, the volunteer must complete two years of service.
Hoff spent her service in Benin, Africa from 2007 to 2009.
She worked in environment education. She said one of her projects was to help a women’s group plant a tree with nutritious leaves.
Other students have the option to work in different areas with different jobs.
Lillian Watson served for six years in three different cities and had several jobs.
Watson said in an email that she served three years in Western Samoa, two years in Foialuga, Savaii and one year in Savaii’s capitol, Apia.
Her jobs varied from TESOL teacher to a village based development worker.
“I did health initiatives,” said Watson. “Volunteered tutoring at the college, taught computer classes in the village and helped with village projects that needed grants.”
These village projects included building a school and getting speed bumps in her village.
Her favorite memory of her village was one day when a little boy ran up to her and excitedly told her about the new car in his village.
He said that this meant there were four cars in his village and he asked Watson how many cars were in her village.
Watson lived in New York City, she told him there were about a thousand. The boy was shocked that so many cars could be in one village. Even then those thousand cars was closer to the number of cars on the block than the town.
Towards the end of her service Samoa was hit by Cyclone Evan and Watson said it was “the most horrific but beautiful experience.” She said although there was no electricity or running water for several weeks it brought the country together.
Stephen Hagerman said in an email that he carried out two years of service in Puerto Armuelles, Panama. His primary focus was in youth development and he was a counselor in the public high school. He also said he coached and led sports teams. He said his favorite memory in Panama was how the people there were very genuine, warm, family-oriented people.
“The Peace Corps preaches sustainability in regards to training others in better practices,” said Hagerman. “But I approached it more as having a positive effect on an individual which will hopefully lead to them making a positive influence on someone else and so on and so forth.”
If students are interested in being involved in the Peace Corps, there will be an application information meeting today in the Union, room 208 from 4 – 5:30 p.m. Contact Annabel Khouri at [email protected] for more information.
