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Employee leaves for Peace Corps Northwestern manager leaves for the Ukraine
By Jim Collar of the Northwestern
An Oshkosh man is giving up most of his possessions and he’ll soon give up all that he’s accustomed to.
It’s part adventure. It’s also the ultimate volunteer opportunity. Tracy Wrolson understands he has plenty to gain personally in the next two years as a United States Peace Corps volunteer.
“I’m a single guy and have nothing to lose,” he said. “I wanted to give something back and share my knowledge. I’m doing it more for the human aspect than the American aspect.”
Wrolson, online production manager for Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers, worked his last day at The Northwestern building on Friday. In early March, he’ll grab two bags and board a plane for a new life in the Ukraine as a member of the Peace Corps. Once acclimated to life in Eastern Europe, Wrolson will send stories to The Northwestern chronicling his work.
Wrolson’s decision to join the Peace Corps wasn’t a hasty one. The application process takes about a year. The decision surprisingly wasn’t a difficult one, he said.
Wrolson, 29, holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business. In the Ukraine, he will work as a consultant to businesses in a city of 100,000 or more.
It’s a chance to both teach and learn, he said. The Peace Corps began sending its volunteers to Eastern Europe following the fall of communism, and the region is still becoming accustomed to life and business in a capitalist system, he said.
Right now, Wrolson only knows that he’ll fly from Chicago to the Ukrainian capital of Kiev.
From there, he’ll move in with a host family in the region for three months of language and culture training. He’ll then begin his volunteer work. Business leaders in the Ukraine could seek his help in a variety of different areas from accounting to production.
Wrolson’s journey begins today. The first step is saying that difficult goodbye to life in the United States.
Wrolson will bring two bags of clothes with him and plans to ship a few small boxes. The rest of his possessions are going to friends and charities. He said it should be interesting to return to the United States and start fresh with nothing.
He’s still not sure when that return will be. He’s only thinking about the adventure ahead during his initial commitment of two years and three months.
“Maybe I’ll be ready to return after that, or maybe I’ll be ready to go somewhere else,” he said.
Jim Collar: (920) 426-6676 or jcollar@smgpo.gannett.com More about Peace Corps Volunteers in the Ukraine
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This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Ukraine; Recruitment; Special Interests - Journalism
