Q&A with Bradley

Group taps into service mind-set
Q&A with Badi Bradley,
UNC-CH graduate student and Peace Corps recruiter

By ANNE BLYTHE, Staff Writer
News & Observer

With 50 alumni in the Peace Corps, UNC-Chapel Hill is 10th among the
nation's colleges and universities sending volunteers off to foreign lands
for two-year stints with the 41-year-old organization.

This fall, the corps opened its first recruiting office, with two part-time recruiters, on the Chapel Hill
campus, one of 40 such sites nationwide. Another office is at N.C. State University in Raleigh.

Badi Bradley, a graduate student in city and regional planning from Mount Airy, and Erin Shaughnessy
Zuiker, a graduate student in public health from Cleveland, are the recruiters in Chapel Hill. Bradley,
who was posted in urban Guatemala from 1997 to 1999, talked in an interview about his experience
as a recruiter and goals for the office.

Q.Are soon-to-be graduates showing more interest in the Peace Corps because of the
sluggish job market, hiring freezes and layoffs in this faltering economy?

A.This is the first office at UNC, so really we don't have a baseline yet. We're seeing a lot of people.
We're probably talking to between five and seven people a week, and we do interviews with one or
two people. But we won't know whether we have more or less until this office has been open for a while.

Q.What skills does the Peace Corps look for in volunteers these days?

A.We need more French speakers, especially AIDS workers, workers in the health branch. We have
a lot of Spanish speakers coming in. There is a need for people in information technology and agricultural
engineering.

Q.Why do you think so many UNC-Chapel Hill graduates sign up to serve in the Peace Corps?

A.The Triangle's a fantastic area; the people here are great volunteers. This campus is just truly outstanding
in the service environment with lots of volunteer opportunities. There's this thing that has happened over the
past couple of years. A lot of the high schools have service requirements now, and I just think there's an
atmosphere at Carolina that encourages service.

Q.Is a stint in the Peace Corps something that everyone should experience?

A.No. What I say to people is: You need to do what is right for you, and if you have a calling to do
international service, then do the Peace Corps. If you're not sure what you want to do with your life and
you want to do something positive, the Peace Corps is a way to do that. If you want to see the world,
and you feel like you want to give back, this is a way to do that.

Q.What are the down sides?

A.Isolation. You're away from your family. Peace Corps is two years for a reason.

Q.What does Peace Corps have to offer the average person?

A.Real-world experience. A lot of times when you graduate, you might get a job where you have to wait
a while until you are making a difference. With Peace Corps, you're afforded the opportunity to make a
much greater impact right away. It's a great way to learn another language. It can take you out of your
comfort zone being in another culture. Whenever you are out of your comfort zone, you learn something.

To learn more, go to www.peacecorps.gov.


	back		Group taps into service mind-set Q&A with Badi Bradley, UNC-CH graduate student and Peace Corps recruiter By ANNE BLYTHE, Staff Writer News & Observer With 50 alumni in the Peace Corps, UNC-Chapel Hill is 10th among the nation's colleges and universities sending volunteers off to foreign lands for two-year stints with the 41-year-old organization. This fall, the corps opened its first recruiting office, with two part-time recruiters, on the Chapel Hill campus, one of 40 such sites nationwide. Another office is at N.C. State University in Raleigh. Badi Bradley, a graduate student in city and regional planning from Mount Airy, and Erin Shaughnessy Zuiker, a graduate student in public health from Cleveland, are the recruiters in Chapel Hill. Bradley, who was posted in urban Guatemala from 1997 to 1999, talked in an interview about his experience as a recruiter and goals for the office. Q.Are soon-to-be graduates showing more interest in the Peace Corps because of the sluggish job market, hiring freezes and layoffs in this faltering economy? A.This is the first office at UNC, so really we don't have a baseline yet. We're seeing a lot of people. We're probably talking to between five and seven people a week, and we do interviews with one or two people. But we won't know whether we have more or less until this office has been open for a while. Q.What skills does the Peace Corps look for in volunteers these days? A.We need more French speakers, especially AIDS workers, workers in the health branch. We have a lot of Spanish speakers coming in. There is a need for people in information technology and agricultural engineering. Q.Why do you think so many UNC-Chapel Hill graduates sign up to serve in the Peace Corps? A.The Triangle's a fantastic area; the people here are great volunteers. This campus is just truly outstanding in the service environment with lots of volunteer opportunities. There's this thing that has happened over the past couple of years. A lot of the high schools have service requirements now, and I just think there's an atmosphere at Carolina that encourages service. Q.Is a stint in the Peace Corps something that everyone should experience? A.No. What I say to people is: You need to do what is right for you, and if you have a calling to do international service, then do the Peace Corps. If you're not sure what you want to do with your life and you want to do something positive, the Peace Corps is a way to do that. If you want to see the world, and you feel like you want to give back, this is a way to do that. Q.What are the down sides? A.Isolation. You're away from your family. Peace Corps is two years for a reason. Q.What does Peace Corps have to offer the average person? A.Real-world experience. A lot of times when you graduate, you might get a job where you have to wait a while until you are making a difference. With Peace Corps, you're afforded the opportunity to make a much greater impact right away. It's a great way to learn another language. It can take you out of your comfort zone being in another culture. Whenever you are out of your comfort zone, you learn something. To learn more, go to www.peacecorps.gov.