In debt from student loans? Traveling to a new part of the world may be the key to paying for your education.
If you are willing to spend two years serving a developing community and promoting a good relationship between America and the world, volunteering for the Peace Corps may be your path to success.
And as a Sun Devil, you won’t be alone. Currently 43 ASU alumni are serving in more than 32 countries, helping people and boosting the University’s reputation at the same time.
ASU is ranked number 24 on Peace Corps’ 2010 Top Colleges and Universities Report. It’s no surprise — with New American University tenets like “engage globally” and “transform society,” our University merges well with the goals of the Peace Corps.
Volunteering with the Corps may also give you a chance to defer or partially cancel student loan debts (depending on your loan), and could help you earn scholarships and fellowships after you return from service overseas. When money is a real issue for students, finding a way to finance your education is paramount — and when you can finance it by doing good for the world, country and University, it’s a win-win all around.
Spending two years away from friends and family is not a decision to take lightly, but if you’re the type of person who can handle that type of commitment, volunteering could give you the opportunity to create a home away from home.
And in the end, you may end up doing just as much for yourself as you do for the community you’re serving.
Immersing yourself in a foreign culture and language, while having the opportunity to be resourceful, creative and self-motivated in anything from education to public health, is life experience to the nth degree.
At best it’s the key to a great job post-service, at very least you have a great conversation starter about another part of the world.
And if you’d rather deal with limited electricity than face the “real world” job market in difficult economic times, a Peace Corps position in Fiji might be a good place to boost your resume while enjoying the beach on your days off.
When you’re ready to come back home, Peace Corps offers affordable health care, a year of noncompetitive eligibility for federal employment and countless other job opportunities. And if you can spend two years improving a community in a developing country, impressing someone in any interview is a no-brainer.
Still, despite all of the good that can come from representing ASU in the Peace Corps, it is not for everyone, and getting accepted is tough.
But the 43 alumni spread across the world are a motivation to make some kind of positive impact, and thanks in part to ASU we have the resources needed to transform society across the globe.
