The Barometer Online

Issue date: 2/20/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Cory Reed Echo Domingues, a graduate student in public health, recounts her Peace Corps experiences in Bolivia at an information session Thursday night.

A representative for the Peace Corps was on campus this week, providing information for students interested in joining the international initiative.

There was an information table at the Career Fair on Wednesday and Thursday, where regional recruiter Erin Carlson was present to answer questions.

In the MU Thursday evening was a panel of returned volunteers from the Corvallis area. Some of the panelists were graduate students or faculty members from OSU. They shared their experiences with the audience and answered questions about service with the Peace Corps.

One of the former volunteers was Echo Domingues, a graduate student in public health, who spent her time in Bolivia. She was an agricultural extension volunteer in her host country and then worked for four years at the Peace Corps office in Washington D.C.

Much of her work was in nutrition education. She explained that Bolivia had a high malnutrition rate, especially among children. She said she was very idealistic going in, but explained the importance of knowing the reality of the situation.

"Really have a solid understanding of what you want to get out of this; have some realistic goals."

Another former volunteer was Chris Ammon, who worked as an agricultural consultant for Moldova, located in Eastern Europe. His job consisted of arranging grants for specific needs in the surrounding community.

"Do all the research you can, and realize the sacrifice you're making. Two years is a long time."

The panelists agreed that service was not for meek, but that if a person stuck with it, the experience could be very rewarding.

"It was the best experience of my life," Ammon said. "I would do it again in a heartbeat."

Earlier this year, OSU entered into a partnership with the Peace Corps to be a part of the Master's International program. The program is currently only opened to those in the College of Forestry (CoF), but it is hoped that the opportunity will be extended to other departments on campus in the future, according to David Zahler, a senior instructor for the CoF and coordinator for the CoF Peace Corps International Program.

Continued...

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