UA Peace Corps Prep Program Hosts Workshop and Info Session for Interested Students

The University of Arkansas Peace Corps Prep Certificate program is hosting two events in connection with International Education Week Nov. 16-20. The first event is a workshop from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, to provide details about the application process for participation in the Peace Corps.

At the workshop, students will learn how to strengthen their applications, browse volunteer openings, and find the right program. Registration for the Zoom workshop is open to all U of A students. 

Peace Corps regional recruiter, Corbin Johns, will lead the workshop for interested students and will answer questions and provide tips to guide applicants successfully through the process. Johns served as a Youth in Development Volunteer in the Kingdom of eSwatini from 2016 to 2018 and was responsible for building the capacity of primary and secondary school students in HIV/AIDS education and English proficiency.

The University of Arkansas Peace Corps Prep Certificate program coordinator, Alshaatha Alsharji, will also provide useful information about the program.

A general information presentation about the Peace Corps is also scheduled for Nov. 19, from 3:30-5 p.m., with registration on Zoom.

The presentation, called "Around the World in 60 Minutes Through the Eyes of RPCVs," will focus on the cultural aspects of a Peace Corps service, including clothes, music, language, food, customs and traditions. Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCV) will provide personal stories, historical background, and will answer questions from the audience.

The event is designed to be a fun and informative session for students who are interested in joining the Peace Corps after graduation, or anyone interested in global aid work and service. The speakers, who all served in the Peace Corps, are:

Melodie Griffis, an instructor for the Department of Sociology and Criminology, is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served three years as a Health Extensionist in Cameroon, where she focused on HIV/AIDS prevention education.

Jessica Ginger is the senior director of the Sustainability Consortium THESIS Impact Team where she coordinates global implementation projects with retailers, consortium members, and others. Jessica's passion for social sustainability has been the driving force behind her 13 years of global, multi-stakeholder, and multi-issue experiences. She served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Republic of Moldova.

Erich Washausen is a U of A staff member in the office of Graduate and International Admissions. He served in the Peace Corps as a Community Health Education volunteer in Paraguay from 2015-2017. Washausen worked on school gardens in Pilar, Paraguay, and also on projects about environmental conservation education and English teaching.

J.P. Gairhan is a recent U of A alum from Cabot, Arkansas, who received a degree in history, political science, and African and African American Studies from the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. He joined Peace Corps Nepal in January 2020, and was evacuated by the Peace Corps after three months due to Covid-19. He also spent eight weeks in Panauti, Nepal, receiving training to begin service as an Education Volunteer.

The Peace Corps is a national service opportunity sponsored by the U.S. Department of State that allows motivated changemakers to immerse themselves in a community abroad for two years, working side by side with local leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation. The Peace Corps was founded in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy and offers positions in six sectors: Education, Youth in Development, Agriculture, Environment, Health, and Community Economic Development.