November 15, 2005: Headlines: COS - Paraguay: Beekeeping: Recruitment: Western Herald: Courtney Cunningham, a regional Peace Corps recruiter, served as a beekeeper in Paraguay from 1998 to 2000
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November 15, 2005: Headlines: COS - Paraguay: Beekeeping: Recruitment: Western Herald: Courtney Cunningham, a regional Peace Corps recruiter, served as a beekeeper in Paraguay from 1998 to 2000
Courtney Cunningham, a regional Peace Corps recruiter, served as a beekeeper in Paraguay from 1998 to 2000
"It was a great experience and huge growing experience,” Cunningham said. “When I first started I thought, 'Oh my gosh, the people here are so different,' but after two years, I saw that we are all the same human beings.”
Courtney Cunningham, a regional Peace Corps recruiter, served as a beekeeper in Paraguay from 1998 to 2000
Former Corps volunteer relates experience
By Jessica Guy
News Writer
November 15, 2005
Caption: Former United States Peace Corps. volunteer Courtney Cunningham will talk about the challenges she has faced at Friedmann Hall at 5 p.m. today.
The advantages and challenges of the Peace Corps will be addressed through former volunteer Courtney Cunningham's presentation “Volunteering for the Peace Corps” from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. today in 3301 Freidmann Hall.
Cunningham, a regional Peace Corps recruiter, served as a beekeeper in Paraguay from 1998 to 2000. She worked with organized committees to help market and sell their honey products and taught sustainable beekeeping practices.
“I didn't know anything about bees,” Cunningham said. “I was shocked. But the three months training that I got was phenomenal.”
“It was a great experience and huge growing experience,” Cunningham said. “When I first started I thought, 'Oh my gosh, the people here are so different,' but after two years, I saw that we are all the same human beings.”
Cunningham also worked with farmers and women's groups to help introduce second-income generating projects within her community.
WMU's Department of Political Science is sponsoring the presentation, during which Cunningham will show a 15-minute video of what Peace Corps volunteers do.
“The video focuses on five different volunteers' experiences from five different regions,” Cunningham said.
She will also be available to give personal interviews Tuesday at the career center.
It's not easy to get accepted, said Dr. Gunther Hega, a Western Michigan University professor in the department of political science. The application process takes several months and they have to make sure applicants are really ready.
“They must not have any romantic notion that this will be a cakewalk,” Hega said. “Peace Corps don't take just anybody.”
Applicants must be healthy, a U.S. citizen and willing to submit themselves to challenging environments.
“It's not a vacation - you are there to help the people,” Hega said.
Peace Corps volunteers' assignments include a variety of activities including: teaching, forestry, business, agricultural work and general construction.
“Each volunteer's experience is completely different from the next,” Cunningham said. “Some volunteers have a very urban assignment and others may have to deal with no electricity or running water.”
Although Peace Corps participants are called volunteers, he or she is actually paid, Hega said.
“They get enough money from the government to have a good living standard where they will be living,” Hega said.
Volunteers also receive free medical and dental coverage, three months intensive language, cross-cultural and technical training, a plane ticket to and from the country of service, 24 vacation days, deferment of student loans, $6,075 upon completion of service, one year of preferred hiring status for government jobs and more.
“I would like join the Peace Corps again,” Cunningham said. “Maybe when I'm married.”
When this story was posted in November 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:
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Story Source: Western Herald
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Paraguay; Beekeeping; Recruitment
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