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!