Celebrating 58 Years of Peace Corps Service!
I am happy to announce that we will be celebrating 58 years as an organization by hosting a Peace Corps Week event on Tuesday, March 5th from 4:00-6:00 PM in the USU 205 (West Wing). Seventeen returned volunteers will be in attendance and eager to share about how their 27 months of service abroad shaped their skillsets and careers as professionals. These returned volunteers are now working as engineers, CEO’s, government employees, teachers, university administrators, and social workers (see the speaker list below!) This event will provide a very unique opportunity for you to learn what service is truly like, as well as help you to identify how the skills gained in Peace Corps service can help you in your respective professions and fields of study! RSVP to the March 5th Information Session via Events on CareerLink.
List of Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Speakers for March 5th, 2019 Celebratory Event:
Alfred Fung
Country of Service/Sector: China (2002-2003) as a TEFL Instructor & Palau (2003-2005) as a Small Business Counselor
Employment: CEO, fun-gi
Catherine Mueller
Country of Service/Sector: Guinea (2013-2014), Public Health
Employment: Department of Homeland Security
Cheetah Chin
Country of Service/ Sector: Mongolia, Education
Employment: Isabel Patterson Child Development Center
Chewy Liong
Country of Service/Sector: Chad (2005-2006)
Christina Decorse
Country of Service/Sector: Macedonia (2013-2016), TEFL Instructor
Employment: Instructional student assistant, CSULB
Most recent former employment: Nankai University English Lecturer
David Lieberman
Country of Service/Sector: Philippines (2000-2003), Environmental Sector (Water and Sanitation Engineering)
Employment: Avocet Environmental, Project Engineer
Devon Murphy
Country of Service/Sector: Uganda, Physics and Mathematics Teacher
Hila Raen
Country of Service/Sector: Fiji, Health Promotions Officer
Employment: Licensed Clinical Social Worker with Cognitive Care Solutions
Jessica Wilson
Country of Service/Sector: China (2013-2015), Education
Employment: Peace Corps Recruiter, CSULB
Karen Jimenez
Country of Service/Sector: Gabon (2002-2004), Health
Employment: Development Associate, Irvine Valley College
Lesley Farmer
Country of Service/Sector: Tunisia (1975-77), Health
Employment: CSULB Professor of Library Media
Lisa Marie Clark
Country of Service/Sector: Cameroon (2016-2018), Community Health
Employment: Graduate Student
Mary Bowes
Country of Service/Sector: Guatemala (1985-1987), Youth Development
Employment: Teacher in Los Angeles Unified School District for 29 years
Melissa Goldman
Country of Service/Sector: Nepal, Food Security
Employment: Current Cornell University graduate student (studying International Development with Food Systems/Agriculture focus)
Natalie Smerkanich
Country of Service: Palau, Education
Employment: Peace Corps, Regional Recruiter for Los Angeles
Rashid Ocheltree
Country of Service/Sector: Education, Morocco (74-76) and Oman (76-77)
Former Employment: Booz Allen Hamilton in Saudi Arabia
Terri Elders
Countries of Service/Sector: Belize, ’87-’90 Community Development, D.R., ’92-’94 Education, Seychelles, ’95, Peace Corps Headquarters, Health Technical Specialist, InterAmerica/Pacific, EMA Regions, ‘2000-20004, Peace Corps Crisis Corps, ’05, USA Katrina/Rita Initiative
Former Employment: Arkansas Dept. of HealthAdolescent & School Health Coordinator, Pubic member of the Washington State Medical Commission, Federal grant reviewer for HHS, SAMHSA, Dept. of Education, Department of Justice, Orange County Grand Juror, freelance writer/editor