Meet our 2009 Peace Corps Fellows/USA

Angela M., MS 2011 | Elizabeth S., MS 2011 | Lauren C., MS 2011 | Natalie G., MLA 2012

Angela M.
Senegal 2005-2007
MS 2011, focus on Environmental Policy and Planning

I served as an Agroforestry Extension Agent, working with farmers in several communities to implement live fences, intercropping, fruit tree grafting in a permaculture-style of gardening and orchard management.  However, being a Peace Corps volunteer requires assessing the needs of the communities you are there to serve and given the interdependence of natural resource, health, and economic issues, I also promoted mud-stove construction, native forest product and grain commercialization, nutrition and sanitation through school presentations, community meetings and radio broadcasts.

Why a PC Fellow/USA in SNRE?
Regardless of what country you served in or what your work involved, Peace Corps provides invaluable skill enrichment in community development, communication, networking, and trouble-shooting, competences with universal applicability.  The SNRE Fellows program allows us to share these with the Student body while fulfilling the Third Goal of Peace Corps, which asks that volunteers come back and share their knowledge and experiences in the U.S.  

Elizabeth S.
Senegal 2006-2008
MS 2011, focus on Sustainable Systems

As a Sustainable Agriculture Extension Agent in Senegal, I worked closely with local farmers in my host-village to improve food security by introducing basic improved agriculture techniques such as optimal spacing, timely thinning, up-land rice farming, and post-harvest seed saving.  I also delved in various agro-forestry, health, business and education activities such as teaching village women how to plant trees for live fencing around their garden, working with the village health hut to reintroduce a village baby-weighing program, and teaching village students how to make natural mosquito repellant lotion.

Why a PC Fellows/USA at SNRE
PC Fellows/USA at SNRE provides me with an opportunity to bring my Peace Corps experience into the classroom and extend my service to a local underserved community.  Having spent my last two years working in subsistence agriculture, I look forward to delving into SNRE academia to learn about the intricacies of sustainable environment and natural resource systems.

Lauren C.
Paraguay 2006-2008
MS 2011, focus on Environmental Justice

During my service as an Environmental Education volunteer, I worked primarily with students and professors of grades 1 through 12 to incorporate environmental education into school curriculums. I implemented several environmental projects at both the elementary and high school levels. Among those projects were a wetlands bird census, tree nursery, environmental camps, and an annual bird festival. Additionally, I collaborated with local NGOs, my town Municipality, neighboring Peace Corps volunteers, and community members on a state-wide reforestation project.

Why a PC Fellow/USA at SNRE:
My time as a Peace Corps Volunteer taught me the importance of cultural understanding, the necessity of community service, and the realities of life in a developing country. The Peace Corps Fellows/USA program at UM gives me the opportunity to build upon my experience as a PC Volunteer, to share the knowledge I gained in Paraguay with my fellow students, and to develop the required skills to become a more effective, educated contributor to global development.

Natalie G.
Mongolia 2007-2009
MLA 2012, focus on Landscape Architecture

From 2007 to 2009, I was a Community Economic Development volunteer in Zavkhan province, Mongolia.  My main focus was on small business development and the sustainability and long-term planning for financial stability of fledging small businesses.  To reach the objectives of the Community Economic Development goals, I worked with my host organization, MercyCorps/Mongolia, to organize group trainings on a wide array of business practices including business planning, accounting and finance, marketing basics and computer literacy.  I also participated in one-on-one business planning counseling and monitoring of long-term MercyCorps’ clients.  The goal was to improve the odds for success of local businesses, such as herders, bootmakers, carpenters and dairy production companies through effective and focused business-related trainings.

Why a PC Fellows/USA at SNRE:
My service in the Peace Corps played a huge role in cultivating my interest in Landscape Architecture, particularly regarding the implementation of sustainable and ecologically-friendly design.  I wanted to be a Peace Corps’ Fellow so that I could bridge Peace Corps service to my graduate studies and incorporate what I learned in Mongolia into my Landscape Architecture design efforts.  I wanted to be a Peace Corps’ Fellow at the University of Michigan because the Master of Landscape Architecture program at the School of Natural Resources is one of the top programs in the country and I felt like UM would embody the Peace Corps principals of community, sustainability and innovation.