Shawn Baxter leaves for the Middle Eastern country of Turkmenistan, where he'll spend the next two years working with the Peace Corps
Peace Corps volunteer hopes to make a difference
By SAMANTHA FREDRICKSON
The Intelligencer
Shawn Baxter is about to make a third-world country his home for the next two years. But it's not plumbing, electricity or American food that he's going to miss.
"I'm really going to miss the Eagles," he said with a sigh. "They better not win the Super Bowl while I'm gone."
The 23-year-old Lower Makefield resident leaves today for the Middle Eastern country of Turkmenistan, where he'll spend the next two years working with the Peace Corps.
He knows he's giving up many comforts of home, but that doesn't matter, he said. He's only concerned about the people he'll help.
"I've lived a pretty nice life," he said. "But not everyone lives like this, and I want to give back. There's a lot more to look forward to than to miss."
Once in Turkmenistan, Baxter will spend the first three months training with the Peace Corps. That mainly means he'll learn the two languages spoken in Turkmenistan - Turkmen and Russian. After that, he'll be sent to a village, where he'll spend his remaining time in the schools, training teachers to teach English.
He doesn't really know what to expect until he gets there. But he does know what he hopes to achieve.
"I want to strip away borders," he said. "That's really my lifelong goal. There's no differences between me (and) them; we were just born in different places."
When he's not changing the world, Baxter isn't quite sure what he'll do with his free time. Turkmenistan is an undeveloped country, so he won't be able to watch television, talk on the phone or check his e-mail.
If he's lucky, he says, he'll talk to his parents once a year. And while he'll be able to write letters, it could take four weeks for them to reach the United States. The Turkmenistan government censors any mail coming in or out of the country, he said, so his letters could be returned to him.
Lower Bucks Hospital
The Peace Corps hasn't always been Baxter's dream. He spent his whole life thinking he would get a job in what he called "corporate America," or work in politics.
He attended a Christian school, then enrolled in West Point right after graduation. After two years at the military school, Baxter realized it wasn't the life for him.
"I took a philosophy course and it taught me how to ask questions," he said. "My whole life, they drilled these ideas into me and I never questioned anything. Philosophy taught me that I can have an impact on people's lives."
So he transferred to Villanova University, where he graduated in May with a philosophy degree. The Peace Corps didn't enter his mind until about 1 1/2 years ago, but once he thought about it, he said it was the easiest decision he'd ever made.
"This is me establishing my own path in life," he said. "I consider it a rebirth."
His mom, Sharon, said she's a little nervous about being out of touch with her youngest son for so long.
"I'm proud of him and the decision he made," she said. "We'll stand behind him all the way."
Samantha Fredrickson can be reached at (215) 269-5081 or sfredrickson@phillyBurbs.com.
