Regional Peace Corps recruiter Shand Laughlin held a conference last night in the meeting room of a local grocery store, Central Market. The information meeting comes just a day after Laughlin’s visit to Hughes-Trigg.
Interested SMU students, recent alumni and members of the community gathered, enticed by a sense of volunteerism, and a need for direction.
“Peace-Corps is an incredible service opportunity available to all Americans.” said Laughlin, “If taken it can change your entire worldview and your direction in life. It is an extremely rewarding experience and oftentimes a life-changing one.”
In addition to the opportunity to serve others in need, the Peace Corps is the ideal way to adopt a new language, become immersed in a foreign culture and develop skills for the world market.
Laughlin, who served for 27 months as an English teacher in Ukraine, spoke of the cultural adaptations that were necessary to “fit in.”
“I worked with 350 local volunteers that taught me how to speak Russian, and helped me develop some cultural nuances specific to Ukraine,” Laughlin said.
When students arrive home from Peace Corps service, they receive health and dental benefits along with $6,000 to do with as they please.
The students in attendance were especially attracted to the opportunities that come after service in the Peace Corps.
“The Peace Corps looks really good to grad schools,” Laughlin said. “I know people who were able to go into graduate international relations programs at Georgetown because of their Peace Corps experience.”
The Peace Corps will also help pay for a student’s undergraduate loans and it is possible to apply for reduced tuition at a grad school of the student’s choice. Another attractive feature is the opportunity to get a year of graduate credit while serving.
The Peace Corps also provides some much-needed relaxation for overworked SMU graduates.
“Things are much slower in the countries Peace Corps serves,” said Laughlin. “Going from America to Ukraine was like stepping off of a treadmill.”
