Founded in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, the U.S. Peace Corps has helped impact the fights against AIDS and hunger, defended the environment and assisted underprivileged communities to gain access to technology.
The Peace Corps exists to promote world peace and friendship by completing three goals: To provide trained men and women to people who need their assistance, to promote a better understanding of Americans to the world and to promote a better understanding of the world to Americans, according to peacecorps.gov.
“In this area … there’s not a lot of return volunteers, not a lot of people have heard exactly … what is Peace Corps,” said Fedra Hinojosa, anthropology senior and Peace Corps campus ambassador. “Students who want to apply, they should be open to the world. … To get to know people, other cultures, try other foods, see other environments, being in other kinds of climate.”
UTRGV offers a Peace Corps Prep Program that will prepare students for international service work. To enroll in the program, you need training and experience in a specific work sector, three courses and 50 hours of associated experience. The sectors include education, health, environment, agriculture, youth development and community economic development.
“It’s a combination of course work and experience,” Honors College Dean Mark Andersen said. “So, when students have completed the Peace Corps Prep Program, then they get a preferential placement with the Peace Corps. Whether students serve on the Peace Corps or not, they develop a couple of competencies that are pretty desirable on the job market.”
Foreign language skills are also required varying on the place of service. The intercultural competence requirements can be fulfilled by taking various courses like international politics, intercultural communication, global change ecology, among others.
“We look for students who have a lot of experience that’s obviously related to one of our sectors,” said Joshua Castro, Peace Corps recruiter for San Antonio and Southern Texas. “We want them to have experience working with kids, that really helps with all of our sectors. Two really valuable skills for people who apply to the Peace Corps are if they speak Spanish or French. In particular, if you have any type of Spanish skills, that’s gonna make you more competitive. … Spanish and French are two big ones we look for.”
Since the Peace Corps program is highly selective, this prep program requires three specific activities that will enhance candidacy. Students are encouraged to have their résumé reviewed by personnel and participate in a workshop or practice interview skills at the UTRGV Career Center. Finally, develop at least one meaningful leadership experience and be prepared to elaborate about it. This can include organizing an event or be a leader of volunteer work.
“My seniors told me that if they hadn’t done the Peace Corps, they probably wouldn’t have a job with the National Science Foundation, which is very important, or NASA,” said Gabriela Villegas, environmental science senior and UTRGV Peace Corps campus ambassador. “You get to do something great for others. At the end of the day, you come back as a changed person, because you were able to see things that, normally people in their secluded spots, or in their comfort zone can’t see. … You would be able to understand more, how the world works.”
Joshua Castro, a Peace Corps recruiter, will be present at the UTRGV Career Expo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday at the PlainsCapital Bank El Gran Salón on the Brownsville campus. On the Edinburg campus, the event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m Friday at the Fieldhouse.
For more information, email honors@utrgv.edu or visit www.utrgv.edu/peacecorpsprep/.
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