April 20, 2003 - Purdue News: Ben Hasse plans to put his two degrees to work this September in El Salvador where he begins a two-year commitment with the Peace Corps

Peace Corps Online: Directory: El Salvador: Peace Corps El Salvador : The Peace Corps in El Salvador: April 20, 2003 - Purdue News: Ben Hasse plans to put his two degrees to work this September in El Salvador where he begins a two-year commitment with the Peace Corps

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Ben Hasse plans to put his two degrees to work this September in El Salvador where he begins a two-year commitment with the Peace Corps



Ben Hasse plans to put his two degrees to work this September in El Salvador where he begins a two-year commitment with the Peace Corps

Outstanding agriculture senior has high hopes, ambitious plans

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – For someone who spends so much time up in trees, Ben Hasse seems particularly well grounded.

Hasse, Kingsford, Mich., graduates from Purdue University this month with a 3.98 grade point average and degrees in forestry and Spanish. He will participate in commencement exercises for the School of Agriculture at 8 p.m. May 11 in Elliott Hall of Music.
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"I love climbing trees," Hasse admits. "People stop climbing trees when they grow up. They forget how much fun it is. I probably climb trees three to four times a week – it's a great feeling to just climb up and sit there in the branches. It's so peaceful."

Hasse also climbs high in the classroom. He recently received the G.A. Ross Award as Purdue's outstanding senior male student. Winning the award, and the $500 that goes with it, could not have come at a better time for Hasse.

"I needed to pay my taxes," Hasse says. "I get the award, but Uncle Sam gets the money."

The award recognizes Hasse's public service, as well as his grades.

He volunteers as a youth instructor at St. Thomas Aquinas Church and at the Lafayette Urban Ministry Homeless Shelter. He has coordinated a sexual abstinence program at Harrison High School, served as a teaching assistant for two forestry courses and tutored forestry and natural resources students in math and statistics.

Hasse, earned 203 credit hours (his forestry degree requires 138 hours) with only one B to soil an otherwise perfect academic career.

He plans to put his two degrees to work this September in El Salvador where he begins a two-year commitment with the Peace Corps.

"I think the Peace Corps is a good choice for me," Hasse says. "I get to use my forestry skills and perfect my Spanish skills at the same time."

While his decision to join the Peace Corps was not universally supported by his family, his desire to travel and explore is understandable. His parents, Bill and Sue Hasse of Kingsford, Mich., were both Peace Corps volunteers in Ethiopia.

"My mom thinks it's too dangerous," Hasse says. "But I can see lots of paths opening up to me. I feel like I have the academic skills to pursue any field I want."

Growing up, Hasse heard bedtime stories that were more likely to start with "Just the other day, I…" rather than "Once upon a time."

"I would say, 'Dad, tell me an Africa story.' He would tell me these incredible stories about what he and my mom did. It was like ‘The Jungle Book,’ only it was my parents."

Hasse's parents have visited 22 nations. He has a way to go to catch up, but with 12 nations already under his belt, he is off to a good start. He spent a recent spring break hiking through five European nations in 11 days, living by his code, "The less you spend, the more you see."

He also spent two spring breaks serving his church in Appalachia and has studied in Spain. Later this month, Hasse will travel to Honduras as part of a 10-week project designed to help indigenous farmers learn to diversify their crops.

His most ambitious trip, however, was a 10-week stay in Antarctica. The Boy Scouts selected Hasse, an Eagle Scout, to go to Antarctica in 1998 to serve as research assistant for several scientists funded by the National Science Foundation.

"That was the experience of a lifetime," he says. "I got to do a little of everything. I even spent 10 days at the South Pole."

But it was 10 weeks without climbing a single tree. Which is just one reason Hasse is looking forward to his stint in Central America. After all, the rainforest should provide plenty of climbing opportunities for this graduate.

Source: Ben Hasse, (765) 746-4354

Writer: Tom Campbell, (765) 494-8084

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@uns.purdue.edu

PHOTO CAPTION:

Ben Hasse has climbed several dozen trees on the Purdue University campus. One of his favorite climbing trees is this sycamore in front of Stanley Coulter Hall. The Kingsford, Mich., native will graduate May 11 with degrees in forestry and Spanish. He was honored with the G.A. Ross Award as Purdue's outstanding senior male student. (Purdue Agricultural Communications Service Photo by Tom Campbell)
A publication-quality photograph is available at the News Service Web site and at the ftp site. Photo ID: Hasse.outstanding



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Story Source: Purdue News

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - El Salvador; PCVs in the Field - El Salvador

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