CSU, Chico Welcomes Own Peace Corps Representative
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 11, 2003
Kathleen McPartland
530-898-4260
CSU, Chico Welcomes Own Peace Corps Representative
California State University, Chico has a resident Peace Corps representative for the first time in several decades. Justin Spence has been hired, with the help of a grant submitted by the Office of International Programs to the Peace Corps, to spread the word about the Peace Corps on campus.
Spence is very familiar with the Peace Corps. His parents served in Malawi and Ghana during the 1960s, and Spence and his wife, Catalin Kaser, served in Eritrea, on the Horn of Africa, and then in the Solomon Islands for two years from 1997 to1998.
Spence and Kaser taught English in Eritrea until the war with Ethiopia forced them to leave in 1998. He learned a tremendous amount through the experience about the people and about himself, he said.
“I learned to speak Tigrinya and the basics of being a teacher. I learned that ethnic and religious diversity doesn’t have to lead to strife. I learned to appreciate some things about the United States that I had taken for granted, such as running water and the education system. I learned that I could eat a goat kneecap!” he said.
Spence graduated from the University of California, Davis with bachelor’s degrees in French and linguistics. After the service, the couple lived in Ithaca, N.Y., where Spence obtained a master’s degree in linguistics at Cornell University. They moved to California in August 2002 to be closer to family.
“Chico State, with its ethic of volunteerism, produces a lot of potential volunteers,” said Susan Place, associate dean for graduate and international programs.
“The program is an international experience combined with altruistic work and tangible benefits. It’s a fabulous opportunity for students,” said Spence.
There are 25 alums from Chico serving abroad at this time. A total of 504 alumni from CSU, Chico have served in the Peace Corps since 1961, said Dennis McMahan, public affairs specialist in San Francisco.
Spence is currently working part time in the new campus representative position. He speaks to classes and conducts informational meetings weekly. For more information about the Peace Corps, contact Spence at 530-898-4829.
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