USF World News
USF’s Peace Corps Week Highlights Optimism in Action
Written by Barbara Howe
TAMPA, FL (March 25, 2024) -- USF graduate student Kadeem Thomas served in the Peace Corps in Botswana in 2019, assisting village health clinics with managing their supplies of medicines. Thomas – who as an undergraduate participated in seven study abroad experiences and is fluent in Spanish, French, and Portuguese – now serves as this year’s USF recruiter for future Peace Corps volunteers, said the experience helped him grow academically and personally.
“Taking the opportunity to step outside my comfort zone, engage in distinctly different yet meaningful learning, and thrive within a novel cultural and contextual setting empowered me to confront fears and embrace unfamiliar challenges with confidence and determination,” says Thomas, who is now pursuing dual master’s degrees in supply chain management and international business administration.
The Peace Corps works in 58 countries around the world with programs in agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health, and youth. Every year this non-profit organization commemorates its founding on March 1, 1961, with a week of student-oriented activities and recruitment efforts on campuses across the country. The theme for this year was “Optimism in Action,” which seeks to highlight the resilience and adaptability of the Peace Corps program, as well as its success in surmounting global challenges.
USF is one of the nation’s top producers of qualified Peace Corps volunteers. To celebrate the anniversary, students participated in:
- A monthly coffee break and information session which happens on the Tampa campus on
the last Monday of every month from 3-4pm at the Global Student HUB in FAO 018;
- A gardening and horticulture event at USF’s Botanical Gardens co-hosted with the Center
for Leadership & Civic Engagement;
- A panel discussion that featured Peace Corps volunteers who have served in different
regions of Africa; and,
- A global trivia event with a focus on international relations, history, and geography on the USF St Petersburg campus.
“The coffee hour is a chance for future global student leaders to meet among themselves and peace corps returned volunteers to play games, and chat while discussing past experiences and upcoming opportunities to get engaged in the international realm,” Thomas says.
The panel discussion was co-hosted with USF’s Global Citizen Award, a program at USF that creates activities for undergraduate students within the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. After attending a workshop, students can complete the program in as little as two semesters. The next workshop is on May 7 at 11 a.m., and students can RSVP for it here.
USF also offers a Peace Corps Prep Program which aims to help students improve their applications to a Peace Corps position, a process that can be highly competitive. “The Peace Corps Prep program allows students to discuss their experiences and enhance their skill set to become more competitive not only for the Peace Corps, but also for other opportunities as well, including applying for graduate schools and Fulbright scholarships,” says Lauren Strange, USF’s Peace Corps Prep Coordinator and who served in the Peace Corps teaching English to elementary, middle and high school school students in the Kyrgyz Republic.
The Peace Corps Prep program prepares students for international development work by teaching leadership skills, cross-cultural communication, and foreign languages, and includes instruction on issues such as education, health care, or the environment. Students can drop in at the Global Student Hub office in FAO 011 on Mondays from noon until 2 p.m., or connect with Strange via Teams if they have questions.
Another benefit to joining the Peace Corps: USF offers financial assistance to returned Peace Corps volunteers interested in pursuing graduate degrees. The Peace Corps Coverdell Fellows Program includes a tuition waver and internships to qualified students enrolled in public health or nursing programs, anthropology, engineering or global sustainability.
“The Peace Corps is a great way to serve your country,” Thomas says. “The knowledge and skills you gain while doing so help make students more competitive in a globalized world.”