In a small town in southeast El Salvador, there is not much for young women to do. During the week they go to school and come home to cook and clean for their families — every day.
When ASU alumna Leah Iverson traveled to San Carlos Lempa as a Peace Corps volunteer in 2006, she was eager to immerse herself in the culture.
Knowing only English, Iverson brought her passion for soccer and began coaching young women in the evenings.
“Whatever kind of assistance I could provide is why I wanted to join — in addition to wanting to travel and learning a second language,” Iverson said.
Three years after her time in the Peace Corps, Leah is now bilingual — and the women in El Salvador are still playing soccer.
Stories like Iverson’s echo those of 58 ASU undergraduate alumni currently serving overseas in 37 countries as Peace Corps volunteers, said Lassana Toure, a Peace Corps recruiter who works on the Tempe campus.
This ranks ASU as No. 20 among large colleges and universities to produce the most volunteers in 2010, according to a Peace Corp report. In 2009, ASU was ranked No. 24 with 43 volunteers.
Volunteer counts are completed each February but the numbers of volunteers tend to remain around this level for ASU, Toure said.
Toure said there is a huge push for students studying sustainability to join the Peace Corps. Those students are also afforded the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree through ASU’s School of Sustainability during their time overseas through the Corps’ program Master’s International.
Students accepted into the Corps and into a participating university spend their first year studying on campus and the remaining two years serving overseas, working on projects related to their field.
Toure said normally applicants of the Peace Corps are accepted at a 1-in-3 ratio but because of cuts to the federal budget, the process is now more competitive and the acceptance ratio has become 1-in-4.
He encourages students to look at options overseas for job opportunities through the Peace Corps, as well as through federal agencies after their service is complete.
“Take advantage of your American citizenship because it’s golden,” Toure said. “You have a nice salary, they’ll pay for your housing (and) they’ll pay for your health benefits.”
Toure served for three years as a volunteer in the South Pacific island country of Tonga, teaching English, social sciences, geography and computer classes while coaching youth track and field.
Toure said his most memorable experiences during his time with the Peace Corps came every day spending time with his students.
“I loved my kids,” Toure said. “I loved being around them. I know they were learning. I really do feel like I inspired a lot of my students to see the world; to see outside of their neighborhood.”
ASU alumna Lauren Zickl served for 13 months in Republic of Namibia, a nation in southern Africa bordering the Atlantic Ocean. She said she joined the Peace Corps because it seemed right.
“I’ve been abroad before and I really wanted to volunteer … and see the world,” Zickl said. “I figured it was the next good step for me out of college.”
Zickl said she loved getting to know the people and the culture of her country.
“It’s a beautiful country (and) so diverse,” she said. “I learned a lot about the people in my town. The connections I made were long lasting.”
Iverson learned to speak Spanish fluently during her 27 months in El Salvador, and felt like she did the work she was sent there to fulfill.
She now works for a nonprofit behavioral health organization as a bilingual team leader.
“Being hired as a bilingual is definitely an accomplishment,” Iverson said. “Now I get to work with the Hispanic population, which in my opinion is an underserved population here in Phoenix, and I am able to relate to them.”
For future applicants, Toure recommended internships and community volunteering.
“Hands on experience is what’s going to set them apart from other volunteers,” Toure said.
Iverson recommended speaking with former volunteers to gain perspective on their experiences overseas.
She said every volunteer’s experience is different but it’s important to consider the individual impact.
“Look deep down into yourself and figure out what you want and what your ultimate desires are,” Iverson said. “If it entails helping other people … then the Peace Corps could be a really good opportunity for that person.”
Reach the reporter at kmmandev@asu.edu
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