"Western's Peace Corps Fellows program is one of the few in the country that offers a full tuition waiver with a graduate assistantship," she said. "It's also close to where I'm from and I liked that. Finally, when you're in the program, you not only emphasize your degree (like RPTA), you take community development classes and have an 11-month internship in a rural area in Illinois and since I'm from here I see the value in that," Sanders said.
Western's Peace Corps Fellows program draws returned volunteers to continue their graduate study with its benefits
Western's Peace Corps Fellows program draws returned volunteers to continue their graduate study with its benefits
By: Rebecca Jania
Issue date: 11/2/05 Section: News
Article Tools:Email This ArticlePrint This Article Page 1 of 1
Students at Western Illinois University are provided with various opportunities to assist local residents, Western's All Volunteer Effort and Volunteer Now are just a couple groups that serve this purpose. However, some students may find that their desire to help others takes them overseas.
Angela Sanders, recreation, park and tourism administration graduate student, is one of those students who said she has always had a desire to help the less fortunate. This desire, combined with a passion to travel and experience other cultures, guided her to join the Peace Corps.
"I served in Malawi, Africa from 2000 to 2002 as a health volunteer. I went to work with HIV (and) AIDS, but ended up doing more water and sanitation work because that's what the people in my village and those surrounding me seemed to need more urgently," Sanders said.
She said her experiences abroad with the Peace Corps gave her the opportunity to assimilate herself into the culture of a developing country.
"(After serving), I believe I have a broader outlook on life and the world," she said. "It's one thing to go visit a different country for a week, stay at a resort and meet those (who) work there. It's an entirely different thing to live and work with and learn the language and culture of those in a developing country."
"I have a great respect for women in those countries. They work tirelessly with no respect and rarely complain," Sanders added. "I am also reminded of how very lucky I am to have had the chance to actually experience life this way for a short time, how very lucky I am to not have to live through the hard times they have, but also to have been able to share in the good times."
However, Sanders added she encountered some difficulties when returning to life in the United States after her time in the Peace Corps.
"It was weird to see big grocery stores with lots of choices of every kind of different food one could imagine," Sanders said.
"It was also difficult to deal with the fact that when people asked, 'How was Peace Corps?' they only wanted a one-sentence answer. It would take days to fully explain the experience, and even then it would be hard for some to understand," Sanders said.
"Other difficulties of re-adjustment (included) cars, not walking everywhere (and) the pace of life (which is) much faster here."
Western's Peace Corps Fellows program assists individuals returning to the United States from the Peace Corps to re-adjust to life in the United States and to continue to perform similar work.
The Fellows' Web site states the mission of this program is to support the personal and professional development of returned Peace Corps volunteers while providing high quality leadership to rural Illinois communities.
Sanders said she was interested in various aspects of the Peace Corps Fellows program.
"Western's Peace Corps Fellows program is one of the few in the country that offers a full tuition waiver with a graduate assistantship," she said. "It's also close to where I'm from and I liked that. Finally, when you're in the program, you not only emphasize your degree (like RPTA), you take community development classes and have an 11-month internship in a rural area in Illinois and since I'm from here I see the value in that," Sanders said.
As a part of the Fellows program, Sanders said the experience has been positive overall.
"(We have a) wonderful, caring staff, good learning experiences (and a) good support system," Sanders said. "I think the staff tries to provide us with as much financial, emotional and logistical support as possible. And most of the time they get it right. It's definitely a good program for those who are willing to stay in Illinois for at least two years and work in community/economic development in rural areas," Sanders said.
Once Sanders graduates from Western, she is interested in working in ecotourism to help raise the quality of life for those in rural areas through nature and/or tourism.
