December 30, 2004: Headlines: COS - Paraguay: The Post-Standard: Jared Susco quit PepsiCo for the Peace Corps, trading big-city corporate America to volunteer in Paraguay
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December 30, 2004: Headlines: COS - Paraguay: The Post-Standard: Jared Susco quit PepsiCo for the Peace Corps, trading big-city corporate America to volunteer in Paraguay
Jared Susco quit PepsiCo for the Peace Corps, trading big-city corporate America to volunteer in Paraguay
Jared Susco quit PepsiCo for the Peace Corps, trading big-city corporate America to volunteer in Paraguay
Volunteer Finds Fulfillment
Es-M Grad Switches from Corporate Life to Peace Corps
The Post-Standard
Syracuse, N.Y.
December 30, 2004
East Syracuse-Minoa High School graduate Jared Susco quit PepsiCo for the Peace Corps, trading big-city corporate America to volunteer in South America.
Susco, 25, began his two-year Peace Corps commitment in June after working almost three years in Chicago for PepsiCo.
After three months of linguistic and technical training, he went to Concepcion, Paraguay, in August. There, he works as a rural economic development volunteer for a savings and loan cooperative, which is like a credit union in the United States.
After graduating as the ES-M valedictorian in 1997, Susco attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in economics in 2001.
Susco returned to Syracuse during the holidays and spent about a week with his family. He left Wednesday for Paraguay.
Why did you quit PepsiCo for the Peace Corps? For the most part, I really enjoyed my work with PepsiCo. It was intellectually challenging, and I toiled each day with very intelligent, very fun people. Still, I knew that I needed to push myself in different directions before my career became too entrenched in corporate America. ... While I really enjoyed brand management and many aspects of corporate America, I found the work to be lacking in soul. It just didn't fulfill me at a deeper level, and I'm not one of those people for whom a job is just a job.
What do you like about Paraguay? I am a huge fan of Paraguayan food, especially sopa paraguaya, (which is) basically a Paraguayan twist on cornbread that is so much better than cornbread in the States, (and) chipa, a manioc-flour-based cheese bread of sorts. ... I also adore a traditional Paraguayan drink made from yerba leaves.
The people are also amazingly generous. They have a deep understanding of the importance of family and know how to enjoy life. Paraguayans focus on making each day as tranquilo (tranquil) as possible, a lesson we badly need to learn in the States.
What do you dislike? There are only two aspects of Paraguayan culture with which I have difficulties. One is the deeply ingrained sense of machismo which results in little respect between genders. The other is the favorite form of music of the youth here, the cachaca. Being a vegetarian in such a highly carnivorous country has presented its own unique challenges. ... Thankfully, I have been blessed with a host mother who enjoys culinary exploration, and we have made many traditional Paraguayan dishes together without the meat.
When this story was posted in January 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:
| Peace Corps issues appeal to Thailand RPCVs Peace Corps is currently assessing the situation in Thailand, anticipates a need for volunteers and is making an appeal to all Thailand RPCV's to consider serving again through the Crisis Corps. Also read this message and this message from RPCVs in Thailand. All PCVs serving in Thailand are safe. Latest: Sri Lanka RPCVs, click here for info. |
| The World's Broken Promise to our Children Former Director Carol Bellamy, now head of Unicef, says that the appalling conditions endured today by half the world's children speak to a broken promise. Too many governments are doing worse than neglecting children -- they are making deliberate, informed choices that hurt children. Read her op-ed and Unicef's report on the State of the World's Children 2005. |
| Our debt to Bill Moyers Former Peace Corps Deputy Director Bill Moyers leaves PBS next week to begin writing his memoir of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Read what Moyers says about journalism under fire, the value of a free press, and the yearning for democracy. "We have got to nurture the spirit of independent journalism in this country," he warns, "or we'll not save capitalism from its own excesses, and we'll not save democracy from its own inertia." |
| Is Gaddi Leaving? Rumors are swirling that Peace Corps Director Vasquez may be leaving the administration. We think Director Vasquez has been doing a good job and if he decides to stay to the end of the administration, he could possibly have the same sort of impact as a Loret Ruppe Miller. If Vasquez has decided to leave, then Bob Taft, Peter McPherson, Chris Shays, or Jody Olsen would be good candidates to run the agency. Latest: For the record, Peace Corps has no comment on the rumors. |
| The Birth of the Peace Corps UMBC's Shriver Center and the Maryland Returned Volunteers hosted Scott Stossel, biographer of Sargent Shriver, who spoke on the Birth of the Peace Corps. This is the second annual Peace Corps History series - last year's speaker was Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn. |
| Charges possible in 1976 PCV slaying Congressman Norm Dicks has asked the U.S. attorney in Seattle to consider pursuing charges against Dennis Priven, the man accused of killing Peace Corps Volunteer Deborah Gardner on the South Pacific island of Tonga 28 years ago. Background on this story here and here. |
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Story Source: The Post-Standard
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Paraguay
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