Seth Jaeger will leave the Ozarks Sunday with his guitar strapped to his back, his laptop under his arm and one suitcase in tow and head for the Ukraine to serve in the Peace Corps
One suitcase, and a desire to teach
Peace Corps veterans give SMS grad a sendoff to Ukraine.
Ellen Gardiner, who served in Poland in the Peace Corps during the mid-1990s, talks with Seth Jaeger on Tuesday evening.
Caption: Ellen Gardiner, who served in Poland in the Peace Corps during the mid-1990s, talks with Seth Jaeger on Tuesday evening. Christina Dicken / News-Leader.
By Steve Koehler
News-Leader Staff
Seth Jaeger will leave the Ozarks Sunday with his guitar strapped to his back, his laptop under his arm and one suitcase in tow.
He's not heading off for vacation or college. The 23-year-old will embark on a 27-month tour of duty as a Peace Corps volunteer.
Jaeger, who grew up in Ozark and graduated from Southwest Missouri State University in May with a teaching degree specializing in history, will teach English in a rural western province of Ukraine.
"This is a good opportunity for me. It will give me a chance to learn from them as well as them learning from me. I can help myself practicing the craft of teaching while teaching them English and some history," he said.
Jaeger got an unofficial sendoff Tuesday night at the home of Ken Rutherford, professor of international studies at SMS, where more than 30 former Peace Corps workers gathered to talk about their time as volunteers and to offer Jaeger some advice.
"I want to rub elbows with the people and hear their stories of what it's like," Jaeger said.
Ellen Gardiner of Springfield, who worked in Poland from 1994 to 1996, recalled what the experience did for her.
"Living in an Eastern European country made me appreciate my freedoms. Women in Poland and other Eastern European countries were very traditional. They were very much like women in the 1940s and '50s here. They never saw anyone like me. I had to bite my tongue a few times," she said.
Jaeger and Gardiner agreed that it's important that Peace Corps workers remember they are guests and to follow the traditions and cultural habits of the country.
Jamie Diatta, a recruiting officer from the Peace Corps' Chicago office who attended Tuesday's gathering, said the popularity of the Peace Corps — started in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy — is rising as students pick it as an alternative to military service. Enrollment is up 19 percent over last year, she said.
"It's a way to improve our image abroad. We help people with development of their standard of living while also teaching them aspects of the American spirit," said Diatta, who spent two years in Senegal.
"I personally gained more than I gave. It was a wonderful education experience."
Laura and Warren Valenti of Lebanon went to El Salvador in 1973. They returned with a daughter, Francesca, now 28, who was born in El Salvador. They later adopted a son, Ricardo, now 26, from El Salvador.
They also adopted two other Hispanic children from Kansas City — Lisa, 27, and Emmanuel, 25.
While in El Salvador, the Warrens found themselves in the midst of that country's civil war, but Laura Warren said she felt safe.
"It was wonderful in the village. The people took care of us. They were very protective," she said.
Jaeger's father and stepmother are confident their son will be safe in Ukraine.
"Safety was one of my concerns," said Shirley Jaeger. "But they said they wouldn't put him in harm's way."
Jim Jaeger said he will miss his son.
"He told us a year ago that he was going through the process to be picked but he didn't know where ... About one and half months ago he told us he was going to the Ukraine," he said.
"We're very excited for him."
Seth Jaeger said he was only taking his guitar, laptop and one suitcase of clothes for the 27 months. Diatta said Jaeger will be paid whatever the local economy pays for teachers (In Senegal it was $200 a month) but everything else (housing, food, health care) is provided for free.
"The money they get is basically spending money," she said.
Rutherford, who served in Africa from 1987 to 1989, said the Peace Corps is one of the country's best "non-violent diplomatic tools."
He said Africans were hungry to learn and talk about America.
Rutherford learned the native language and was stunned to hear what the topic of discussion was among a group of Africans when they all took a taxi together.
"They didn't know I spoke the language but they were all talking about how Jesse Jackson had won the Michigan primary," Rutherford recalled.
"Imagine, American politics being discussed in an African taxi cab."
