A few months after she graduated from William and Mary, current Fletcher student Sara Yun found herself in the Gobi desert. Yun is a first-year masters candidate at the Fletcher School and a Peace Corps alum. She spent two years in Sainshand, Mongolia, teaching English and assisting with small business development.
"I was a senior in college in 1998 and 1999 when the economy was great, and it seemed like everyone was going into financial services, telecoms, or dot-coms," she said. "Myself, I was planning to sign with a large bank and live the life of an associate for a couple of years... On a whim, I went to a really energetic Peace Corps recruiting session at William and Mary, and decided I was all wrong, and Peace Corps was it," she said. A few months later, Yun found herself in the Gobi desert.
For many college graduates, the traditional workplace seems like a daunting transition. After four years of partying late and sleeping until noon, it's time to enter the drudgery of the nine-to-five world or spend another sum of untold thousands on graduate school. But, in joining service organizations, many Tufts students are choosing another option.
"Tufts has a long history of public service, from the Leonard Carmichael Society to alumni volunteering around the globe," Director of Career Services Jean Papalia said. "Even in the best of times, our graduates elect these options rather than traditional jobs."
Organizations such as the Peace Corps, Teach for America, Green Corps, and AmeriCorps often look to Tufts for new recruits. In fact, Tufts ranks number one on Peace Corps's list for number of volunteers from small universities. Twenty-three alumni currently serve around the world.
Peace Corps is sponsored by the federal government and founded during the Kennedy administration. Volunteers work for 27 months in foreign countries, providing needed services and education for needy communities.
In mid-February regional recruiter Penny Weaver visited the Tufts campus to recruit the next generation of Peace Corps volunteers. In a meeting for interested students, she explained the benefits and challenges of the program.
Despite a small turnout at the meeting, Weaver claims "[recruiting at Tufts] has most definitely been fruitful." Nationwide recruitment rates have been especially high after Sept. 11 and President Bush's pledge to increase the presence of Peace Corps volunteers in the Middle East and Central Asia.
Based on the three goals of technology development, ally building, and promotion of better understanding of other cultures, most would agree that the Peace Corps has a rigorous application process. According to Weaver, the proper interviews and paperwork usually take six months or more for to be completed. She told those in attendance to expect mid to late-summer departure dates if they begin applying now.
Senior Victoria Crispin attended the meeting after a course piqued her interest in global issues. With past volunteer experience, it was natural for her to check out the program.
"It was informative and interesting," she said, "but real as well." Indeed, the presentation did not mask the challenges facing future Peace Corps participants.
"It's not for someone who just wants to hop around," recruiter Nancy Gilbert said. Gilbert, a Peace Corps alum, served in the Dominican Republic. "You must be willing to really challenge yourself in ways you haven't dreamed of."
That said, the organization receives an overwhelmingly positive response from alumni.
"Professionally, it provided more focus for my career path," Yun said. "I am interested in emerging markets and how trade and monetary policies can affect the development process. Two solid years of grassroots development work gave me some insights into the development process."
Her experience has affected her personally as well. "People are people wherever you go, and I made some wonderful friendships with people in Mongolia, both with other volunteers and Mongolians I worked with."
Of course Peace Corps is not the only service organization popular with Tufts students. According to Papalia, Teach For America and Green Corps also recruit heavily from the University, heavily enough, that is, to send recruiters and table in the campus center.
Senior Varsha Prasad is the campaign coordinator on campus for Teach For America (TFA), an organization that places volunteers in under-funded schools across the nation.
From rural North Carolina to inner city San Francisco, TFA looks to put knowledgeable people in the classroom for children that need them the most.
"You don't necessarily have to be an education major," Prasad said. The program will take goal-oriented, determined applicants from any major, particularly math and science specialists.
After a demanding training summer session, participants act as teachers in public school systems for two years in nearly all subjects, grade levels, and specializations.
As a senior, Prasad has applied to be part of the group she's worked with the past two years.
"I want to do something before I go out with a set career path... and help children in under-resourced areas," she said. "I think all children deserve that chance."
Green Corps is an environmental leadership program and field school which accepts a limited number of applicants into paid, full-time positions for one year. The organization claims a high demand for its graduates as the next generation of environmental leaders.
Financial compensation is not an important factor for those who decide to enter service organizations. For their 27 months of service, Peace Corps volunteers earn a "re-adjustment payment" of $6,075 as well as some possible loan deferments and cancellations. Teach For America offers higher financial benefits: $9,045 in transitional grants and loans as well as a regular starting salary from the school district.
But financial considerations can play a part in the decision to join one of these organizations. "With the weakened economy, it's not surprising to see seniors broadening their employment research to include volunteer or service organizations, especially those that offer stipends as well as funding for future graduate study," Papalia said.
Most of the decision lies, however, in a desire to give back, help others, and have an experience of a lifetime. "You can use the skills you've studied as well as [from past] volunteer opportunities and put them together to help others," Weaver said. Before becoming a recruiter, Weaver served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia.
With the current economic situation and the school's tradition of volunteerism, it seems likely that Tufts graduates will continue to seek out service opportunities. Weaver stresses that Peace Corps is open only to US citizens, but a little research can yield the names of several similar organizations that will accept foreign nationals.
Papalia directs curious students to the Career Services website, where listings can be found under "Postgraduate Opportunities" under Job Listings or "Nonprofits" under Exploring Careers.
Prasad invites anyone interested in Teach For America to email her at vprasa01@tufts.edu or visit the group's website.
Other interested students can attend Non Profit Fair at Tufts on April 5 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
