Sangeet Kochhar taught English to high school students in Guinea, West Africa, but also organized and directed a theater troupe that went on tour to educate about the ramifications of female circumcision
Peace Corps volunteers work with people in developing countries to help them take charge of their own futures. After intensive language and cross-cultural training, volunteers live for two years in remote communities, speaking the local language and adapting to the cultures and customs of the people with whom they work. For former volunteer Sangeet Kochhar '98, that meant not only teaching English to high school students in Guinea, West Africa, but also organizing and directing a theater troupe that went on tour to educate about the ramifications of female circumcision. She also gave talks on AIDS and helped to build a three-room extension for the local high school.
For many volunteers, the Peace Corps reinforces a great education. Says Kochhar, who majored in Sociology and French, "in my junior and senior years at Dickinson I dedicated a lot of my time to studying race relations and the creation of identity in society. It was interesting for me to see how my definition of identity changed as I moved from an individualistic to a more collective society."
The impact the Peace Corps has on the personal and professional lives of its volunteers is pervasive and invaluable. Krista Feezel '87, a former volunteer who taught math and science in Swaziland, confirms that "the Peace Corps is a great training ground for anyone interested in international development or even the Foreign Service." And on a personal level, she asserts that the experience "made her realize the importance of world citizenship."
For the recently returned Kochhar, the most important thing she learned was that "although my host family and friends in Africa were (according to our standards) very poor and 'suffering,' they were the happiest people I have ever met. Material goods and wealth meant nothing in terms of their happiness. Before leaving for the Peace Corps, Kochhar was dead set on going into law school upon her return, but now, she says, "I am looking into development work because I want to spend the rest of my life with people who are like those I left in Africa."
