While some love to travel, few people are willing to devote two years of their life to volunteering in a foreign country. On Jan. 12, MSU alumna Jacqueline Mullen will be doing exactly that — she will be traveling to Morocco to work with children as a Peace Corps youth development volunteer.
Peace Corps Midwest Regional Public Affairs Specialist Heather Mangan said Peace Corps is all about making a difference. Volunteers travel to different countries to help out those in need and then bring the traditions, lessons and information they learned back to their home in U.S.
“(Volunteers) come out with advanced skills, a whole new perspective and new knowledge,” Mangan said.
Mullen, whose major was comparative cultures and politics, said her love of traveling and learning inspired her to join Peace Corps.
“Peace Corps is the best option for me since it lets me use skills I have and they pay for everything,” she said.
Mangan said some benefits of joining Peace Corps include travel expenses being paid for, medical care and a monthly allowance to help their funds during their stay. Furthermore, there are Fellows programs at various universities where volunteers can have their tuition reduced or covered because of their work with the organization.
It’s a great opportunity for people who love to travel, but still a massive undertaking nonetheless.
Mullen, who has participated in a couple of study abroad programs before, said she has never done anything quite like this.
“It’s a really big change to go somewhere and commit over two years of your life to something,” she said. “I feel nervous, I feel scared, I feel so many different (emotions). I basically feel everything.”
Mullen said she doesn’t expect to know very much, but she anticipates she will learn quickly. One of her main goals is to learn as much as possible in the first few months, which will be spent training in the language and culture of Morocco.
Her other goals include making as many friends as possible and potentially setting up a pen pal system between her old elementary school and the children she’ll be working with.
While not everyone can commit two years of their life to volunteering, Mullen said she believes it’s important for young adults to travel.
“I know Peace Corps isn’t for everyone,” she said. “It’s important for people to realize there’s a world outside their country.”
