Keeping the peace: A look into Georgia College’s connection with the Peace Corps
With a growing population of over 311 billion, people are one of the United States’ most prized resources. There are a group of volunteers in thwePeace Corps dedicated to helping this 311 billion. In 1961, the U.S. began sharing its volunteers with the rest of the world through the Peace Corps.
Today, Peace Corps volunteers are serving in 77 countries around the world.
Horlacher
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According to the official Peace Corps website, the work done by Peace Corps volunteers is mostly country-specific. The work really depends on the needs of the country.
There are nine general categories of volunteer positions—education, youth and community development, health, business and information and communication technology, agriculture, environment, HIV/AIDS, food security and Earth Day.
Recruitment at Georgia College
Peace Corps Information Sessions and recruiting events are held in Georgia year round. On March 8, a Peace Corps Session was held at Georgia College. This session provided information on joining the Peace Corps, higher education opportunities with the Peace Corps and much more.
The right fit
Caroline Horlacher graduated from Georgia College with a degree in theatre in 2010. She was a new graduate, starting down the path to a job that she had been educated for the past four years, ready to step into the real world, but something about it felt empty. Horlacher knew why.
An old college roommate had spoken to Horlacher about joining the Peace Corps after college, causing her to put the option in the back of her own mind. She knew that she wanted to graduate college so that little thought was pushed aside—until graduation.
When she thought about her career and the life that she was about to begin, Horlacher felt like something was missing. This is when the thought of the Peace Corps came back with a flying force. With very few commitments and much support from friends and family, Horlacher decided that this would be the best time to join the Peace Corps, and so she did.
Horlacher will be volunteering as an economic developer in Surinam, beginning in May of this year.
Having a degree in theatre, Horlacher is looking forward to learning more about economics.
“I’m really excited about being about to teach about the empowerment of women,” she said. “We’re going somewhere where the women don’t really have a voice, so I am really looking forward to teaching them that they can be empowered.”
Though she will be an economic developer, that is not the only thing she will be doing.
“I’m really excited to be doing a little of everything. I’ll get to teach English as well as economics, so we really will be doing a little bit of everything,” Horlacher said.
Horlacher leaves the country May 6 for Surinam.
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