Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Introducing Ann-Marie!





This new semester at Tulane brings a lot of exciting changes to the Peace Corps Program. Five of our students received their placements in the Peace Corps, we have a load of new students who joined the program, and we have a brand new coordinator, Mrs. Ann-Marie Yongho! Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, Ann-Marie is a returned Peace Corps volunteer from Cameroon who will be studying in the Global Health Systems and Development program. Read on to learn more about our new coordinator, and the exciting plans she has for our program! 

Where are you from?
I am originally from Michigan and completed undergrad at the University of Michigan (GO BLUE!). I double majored in Political Science and Sociology. For the last 3 years I've been living and working in Chicago. I started undergrad thinking I would be pre-law and eventually go to law school. Blah! That lasted about 2 years, until I really got into my Sociology courses and the study of people. I focused on race relations in the US as well as African studies and when I studied abroad at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, I realized then that my passion and living and working in the developing world.

Where and when did you serve in the Peace Corps? What was your project area?
I served in Cameroon. I was an education volunteer and taught in the Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) program to francophone students.   I lived in a small capital city of Bertoua in the East province and class sizes were huge so I had anywhere from 60-150 students in each class. I also ran an after school camp focusing on healthy sexual decision making and leadership development, and worked with rural teachers on how to incorporate health and wellness topics into the existing TEFL curriculum.

What was one of the hardest things about your Peace Corps experience?
Besides being away from my family for 2 years, the hardest part for me was the issues around being a white female in the developing world. There were a lot of cat-calls, marriage proposals and just general dĂ©rangement (Cameroonian slang for harassment). Eventually it got better as I got to know more people in my village, but I was looking forward to anonymity when I got home. 

 What was one of the most memorable moments you had in your village?
At the end of the school year I had all my 6eme (5-6th grade) students who had passes over to my house for a party. They were SO excited to come to my house and they all showed up in their best dress clothes, dress shoes and had their hair braided. One even brought me a flower she had picked. We just hung out and danced and played American board games and had an awesome time.

 What is an example of an “only in Africa” story that happened to you?
Wow, again so many! Two stand out in my mind. Cameroon is SO corrupt and bribes are just a normal part of life. One day during my 6eme (5-6th graders) class, Kumalo, one of the class-clown types, could not pull himself together, so I kicked him out of class and told him to bring his machete to school tomorrow so he could do manual labor (only in Africa do you tell the bad kids to bring a 24 inch sharp blade to school!!).  A few minutes later he knocked on the door and in the most serious voice I had ever head come out of his mouth, slyly tried to bribe me with 25 francs,( less than 1 penny), to get back into class. Funny thing is, that actually worked on some teachers.
Another experience involved eating at my favorite Anglophone restaurant when my sister came to visit. We were eating Achu, which is basically a thin yellow soup in a bowl of pounded banana's and coco-yams that you MUST eat with your hands. It's delicious! So I ordered and was trying to teach my sister how to eat soup with your hands when it came to our table. I noticed a small fly in my soup right about the same time as the waitress did and she quickly took her fingers and scooped it out for me. I said thanks and dove right in. The look on my sister's face was priceless. I had forgotten that it was probably not normal for someone to put their fingers into your soup let alone to scoop out a fly! It's amazing how you lose those American social graces very quickly! I finished every bite and would kill for some Achu now!!!

Do you think that Peace Corps experience is relevant to students who are getting their masters degrees?
Absolutely! I've now had experience working both internationally and in the states and I am excited to see how those experiences translate into the classroom. 

What advice do you wish you would have been given either before or during your Peace Corps experience?
I wish I had been encouraged to work for a while and gain some experience before joining the Peace Corps. I graduated from undergrad in May and left for Peace Corps in June.  I had a great experience and loved every minute of it, but ultimately I would have been more effective as a teacher (and believe this is true in any program) had I had some work experience first. It was definitely not your typical "first-job"!

What did you do after the Peace Corps?
I returned to the states in July of 2009, which was one of the worst times in history for finding a job.  I was lucky to be hired by a small non-profit in Chicago working with youth and coordinating the prevention education department. It was a great transition back to the states and definitely impacted my decision to pursue my MPH. After I was hired, I realized that my Peace Corps experience was one of the reasons they called me back. They had over 200 resumes for this position and Peace Corps was what stood out to them!

What drew you to Tulane University?
I was applying to schools all over the country, and a few things went into my decision to study at Tulane. First, my husband and I LOVED New Orleans when we came to visit. He is from Cameroon and New Orleans has such a unique vibe that at times feels much more like Cameroon than any other place we'd been in the US, and certainly different than Chicago! There are also so many RPCV faculty members at Tulane, and having that Peace Corps connection was important to me. Finally, everybody knows, that for international public health, Tulane is one of the best!

What do you like about New Orleans?
I like the vibe. Its super chill and everyone is SO friendly. Even those people who were born and raised elsewhere have figured out that southern hospitality thing! The music scene is amazing and I'm looking forward to exploring all that New Orleans has to offer over the next few years!

What do you hope to accomplish in the office this year? What are some goals that you hope you will achieve during your time there?
I hope that I am able to be a strong support system to those looking to serve and those overseas. I would also love to incorporate some of my experiences and expertise into the monthly seminars, including LBGTQ Peace Corps experiences, and a discussion about race and gender as a PCV.

So Long New Orleans - Leaving for DC


As my impending departure from New Orleans loomed in the middle of the summer, and reality sunk in that I would soon have to leave for Washington DC, I began to realize how much I would miss the BigEasy. My mother came to visit me in my last days, and as I began to organize all of the things that I wanted to show her, I realized that there were still so many things that I myself had not yet seen that I wanted to, and so many things that I wanted to show her in the city that I had lived in and loved for the last 15 months. I decided to make a list of sorts – to organize what I wanted to show her and more importantly, where I wanted to take her to eat before I headed out to Washington DC.  I present before you now, my version of a list that probably exists many other places on the web –but this list is unique in that there are the top ten things that meant the most to me while I was in New Orleans – and I offer it to you as a list of things you may want to check out whether you are visiting or just staying for a weekend.

10. Touring the Lower Garden District
As an avid dog walker, I couldn’t have picked a better area to live than the Garden district. Walking through the streets at night with my dog I admired the beautiful architecture that lined the streets, and the lights that flickered from each doorway. The smell of the honeysuckle and the flowered branches that had to be stepped around on the path made me remember that New Orleans was much more than just Bourbon streets and parties all the time, it really showed me how beautiful New Orleans was.


9. Touring Mardi Gras World
Admittedly touristy, because my mother missed Mardi Gras by about three months I decided to take her to Mardi Gras World, where all of the floats are housed and where others are in the making year round. The sparkle and pizazz contained within that warehouse is amazing, and because you are allowed free-reign with your camera, touring Mardi Gras world gives you the unique opportunity to take the pictures of floats that you probably missed while trying to catch coconuts and shoes.


8 A visit to the Lower Garden District Bookstore
Just one of many of the little shops located in the LGD, this bookstore has an incredibly impressive collection of autographed books and the book store owners seem to have a sixth sense if you ask them to help you pick out a book. This store also has an entire section just on Louisiana culture and food – a excellent resource for anyone who wants to get to know the state or the city a little bit better! 

7. A jaunt through Audubon Park
Located uptown in one of the prettiest neighborhoods in New Orleans, Audobon Park is one of the best places in town for a run, mostly because the paved trail does not sport the oak tree roots and crooked sidewalk panels that are found throughout the New Orleans sidewalks. Audobon is also the place to go when you want to start a friendly game of Frisbee or kick ball – I’ll miss my Tuesday/Thursday Ultimate group! 

6. A visit to City Bark – the only New Orleans Dog Park
Watching dogs play at City Bark was one of my favorite pasttimes – and it was one of Casey’s (my dog) favorite pasttimes as well. Only in City Bark can you see dogs jumping together like small children and romping free, in the pool, in the agility area, or into the many mud holes around the park. A wonderful place play, laugh, and meet other people whose crazy dogs make you feel better about your own.



5. A ride through the swamp
You can’t live in Louisiana without going to the Swamp! There are many tours that take you through the Bayou and introduce you to the REAL Swamp people (though don’t go there assuming that they all hunt Gators…they may just leave you in the swamp). I never knew that Alligators had such a love for marshmallows and hotdogs, and the swamp was definitely a wonderful place to see them chow down! 



4. Who Dat?
I dare anyone to live in New Orleans and NOT become a Saints fan. I was lucky enough to make it to the Dome on one occasion – best day ever. Those days I wasn’t able to go, I managed to make it to one of the many New Orleans bars, where the “who dat” cheers are almost as deafening as they are in the stadium. Even if you don’t love football, out of respect for the city that loves them, turning out to a Saints game at the bars is a MUST. 



3. FOOD, FOOD, and more FOOD.
It is impossible to live in New Orleans and not be overwhelmed by the amazing options for a culinary experience. One of my friends put it best, when he said that one of the best things about New Orleans is that anyone can take a falling down shack on a run down street, throw some great paint on it, and wind up serving the best food in the city! I cannot even begin to list my favorites, but I know the ones that I miss the most are Dat Dog, Surreys, The Blue Plate CafĂ©, Tru Burger, and the Cooter Browns. 


2. Art in the Quarter 
 If you love art, then walking down Royal Street in the French Quarter is an all day expedition. There you will find amazing hole in the wall boutiques with unique paintings, as well as the Blue Dog made infamous by George Rodrigue. Walk towards the Lake Pontchtrain and you will see paintings and caricatures detailed by aspiring artists who paint on the sidewalk as you pass the decorated gates of Jackson Square.
 Wander up to the Garden District and you may find Simon hiding somewhere on Jackson Street – just remember to Be Nice or Leave! The Freret Street and Palmer Park fairs are also excellent places to find trinkets, or to simply eat fish tacos and watch the Tubador. No matter where you go in New Orleans, you cannot leave until you take a little piece of New Orleans with you! 












1. Walking through the Big Easy
New Orleans may be the big easy, but it is easily accessible by foot no matter where you may go! I loved the easy access to everything when I lived in the Garden District, the bars, the hole in the wall grocery store – I miss all of those things where I live today! The two mile walk to my school never seemed that long to me, I was able to go through the Central Business District and stare up at the huge skyscrapers and receive a 10 minute greeting from whoever I may pass, not to mention the occasional hey baby. 
 New Orleans is a magical city, and everyone experiences it differently.  I hope that by reading through some of my favorite experiences in the city our readers can go out and discover the things that are unique and loveable about the city for themselves. I’ll miss New Orleans, but I’ll always keep trying to come back!!!

Spring 2012...Endings and New Beginnings!



The close of 2012 brought the end to an exciting semester for Tulane Peace Corps Programs. We released the Spring edition of The Internationalist, we held a fundraiser and goodbye celebration for Penny Jessop,  we congratulated our five graduates from the Tulane Masters International Peace Corps Program, and we cheered the five Masters International students who got their placements in the Peace Corps! 

The Spring/Summer 2012 Edition of the Internationalist was a huge success, and included feature stories from Thailand and Niger. There was also a large piece about the legacy left behind by Penny Jessop, who after more than 30 years of teaching at Tulane is leaving the Big Easy to retire to Florida. 

Internationalist Contributers (L-R) Molly McGuire, Lauren Brunner, Aimee Edmondo, Alyssa Young, and Alicia Cooke

Co-Editors of the Internationalist (L-R) Matt Ward, Megan Sauer, Taylor Bednarz, and Krystal Seger
 

 At the end of the year, the Peace Corps Programs office sponsored a night out at Willy's Bar next to the Tidewater building, for Penny Jessop, a Tulane educator with a huge heart, who was always there for the Peace Corps Programs Office whenever there were questions with volunteers, or whenever anyone needed a little encouragement overseas.


  Together with students and faculty, more than $500 was raised that night for the Penny Jessop travel fund! Though we will miss Penny, we all know that Florida is only a state away!!!








 We proudly graduated five students from the Masters International Program this year! 

Aimee D'Avignon RPCV Albania 

Ron Ikechi - RPCV Ecuador

Shawn Peterson - RPCV Peru

Merritt McMullen Driscoll - RPCV Tanzania

Shawn Peterson - RPCV Namibia

Kourtney Rusow - RPCV Senegal



Finally, we are proud to announce the placements of five of our Masters International Students! 

 Molly McGuire is a Masters International student in Global Health Systems and Development. Molly was an active student in the Masters International program, participating in many of the service events and making sure to be there for every care package filling! She will be leaving for Peru in September.
 Page Miller is a Masters International student in the Department of Tropical Medicine! After her undergrad at Tulane University, Page continued an additional three semesters as a part of the 4+1 program to get her MPH. Page has already left for Zambia, in South East Africa!
 Megan Sauer is a student in the Masters International program in the Department of Tropical Medicine. Megan has already departed for her Peace Corps service in Zambia! Megan was very active in the Masters International program, often working as many hours as the office staff, and participating in almost every single event! We are excited to see what great things she will do in Zambia!
 Will Saitta is a Masters International student in the Department of Global Health Systems and Development. Will has received his placement for Peace Corps service in Cameroon, West Africa, and will be leaving in mid-September! Will's enthusiasm at all of the Peace Corps Programs events, as well as around the school each day made him a wonderful asset to our program, and we expect the Cameroonians won't ever want to let him leave!
 Matt Ward is a student in the Masters International Program in the Department of Tropical Medicine. Matt is the most recent recipient of his Peace Corps Placement, he will be leaving for Ghana in late November. Matt has experience traveling to Uganda for mission work, and most recently has done a great deal of work at clinics in Haiti. While at Tulane Matt served as editor for the Internationalist for two semesters, and was a huge participant in almost all of the projects done by the office. We hope that Matt will find fish to catch in Ghana, and can't wait to see what he does during his service!
Alyssa Young is a Masters International student in the Department of Tropical Medicine. Alyssa also did her undergrad at Tulane, and will graduate at a student in the 4+1 program at Tulane. Alyssa received her placement for Benin, West Africa, and she departed in June! We expect to hear from her soon as a sworn-in Peace Corps Volunteer!