2024年5月7日

Upon collecting her bachelor’s degree from 浩博体育app, 艾米丽·希茨尼，24岁 will embark on a nearly 5,000-mile journey to North Macedonia for a two-year commitment to the Peace Corps.

Hizny said her desire to participate in the Peace Corps began with her 全球机遇 计划, 去Tirolo, which was set in an Alpine region in northern Italy 和 southern Austria. She spent two weeks abroad exploring the region’s multicultural facets, engaging in agricultural 和 culinary activities, 学习 可持续性 和 border concepts 和 interacting with local communities.

“我非常喜欢它. I absorbed so much from the experience 和 upon returning home, decided I wanted to go abroad again after graduation,希茨尼说。. “我的探索把我带到了 职业发展中心 where the Peace Corps was recommended to me.”

While living in the southern European republic, Hizny will be assigned to a primary or secondary school where she will work collaboratively with a teacher there to teach English while also learning to speak local languages, including Albanian 和 Macedonian.

A 创意写作 和 出版 & 编辑 双学位, Hizny learned she preferred working with people more than the solitary practice of writing after becoming involved in 校园活动. 作为浩博体育app的学生, Hizny was involved in Slam Poetry Club, FUSE (Forum for Undergraduate 学生 Editors), 圣所的杂志, 和 served as a student ambassador for the 入学 Office. She also served as a teaching assistant for various English 和 创意写作 courses.

“I loved the collaboration of my clubs 和 projects, 和 I’ve gained a lot of teaching experience while at SU,”她说。. “那些经历, combined with my desire to help people 和 learn new skills 和 ways of life, motivated me to explore the Peace Corps,”她说。.

The Peace Corps was founded in 1960 by President John F. 肯尼迪. The organization brings together skilled, committed volunteers with host communities for service opportunities in more than 60 countries. Acceptance into the Peace Corps is highly competitive — only about 23% of applicants are awarded a position.

Hizny, 普林斯顿的, 新泽西, chose to serve in North Macedonia because of its mountainous l和scape, similar to the l和 she fell in love with in Tirolo. She was also intrigued by the country’s collectivist culture, which values the needs of the community over the individual — a way of life Hizny anticipated learning from.

“I’m looking forward to discovering the strength 和 wisdom within a collectivist culture,希茨尼说。. “I hope that as I integrate into North Macedonia’s communities, I can grow more patient 和 empathetic as I stive to become a skilled 和 supportive teacher.”