Carolyn Kent, a Duke alumna and Peace Corps worker, said she believed Duke students are fitted with the proper tools to change the world. She added that it is key for undergraduates to realize that postgraduates can bring a lot to the table.
Kent, Trinity ‘08, addressed a group of students at the Sanford School of Public Policy about her experience working for the Peace Corps. She encouraged others to take her lead.
A recent graduate with an International Comparative Studies major, a Spanish minor and an International Health Certificate, Kent is now serving for 27 months in the small town of Canilla, Guatemala. She works as a Municipal Development Advisor in the Women’s Office of the 2,000-person village.
The area in Guatemala where Carolyn is stationed is wrought with immense poverty, mainly induced by cultural differences, she said. There are 27 languages spoken in Guatemala, mostly dialects of what the ancient Mayans spoke.
“In Canilla, only 50 percent of the villagers are Ladina, white Spanish-speaking [Guatemalans],” Kent said. “And the other 50 percent are of Mayan descent.”
Kent highlighted her major development project in Canilla: a Mayan Education Center. The building is environmentally friendly, constructed from over 7,000 recycled plastic bottles that were filled with inorganic trash.
It was difficult to gain the trust of local government in convincing the townspeople to build a community center out of trash, Kent said.
“They had to kick [a similarly constructed building] to see the bottles wouldn’t break or smell,” she added.
Junior Mariah Hukins said that she was eager to hear Kent speak because having a Duke alumna in the Peace Corps makes the goal seem more within her reach.
“[It was] an opportunity to see if I could get into the Peace Corps because I’m not going directly to medical school after graduation,” she explained.
One of Kent’s peers, Elizabeth Linzer, described Carolyn’s experience as something public policy oriented students should strongly consider.
“It’s interesting to think as undergrads about the type of person you are [and how the Peace Corps could affect that],” she said.
Kent spoke about the challenges and rewards of working in a foreign country. When asked about the experience, she admitted mentally it was very challenging, likening it to living in a “fishbowl.” But she also issued encouraging words to students considering following a similar path after graduation. Kent expressed gratitude for the interesting experiences and diverse individuals she encountered.
Kent also discussed the application process for the Peace Corps, which takes approximately a year. She urged seniors to begin the process in the near future even if they are unsure about what jobs will be available post-graduation.
Kent admitted that the qualification process to serve in the Peace Corps was grueling, jokingly reminiscing that she had to get her wisdom teeth pulled.
“I wasn’t a happy camper,” she laughed. “But the experience in Guatemala was worth the oral surgery.”
Kent’s experiences made a strong impact on the students in the audience, especially those with similar academic interests.
When asked what made Kent such a powerful role model, senior Kate Ferguson quickly replied that it was her commitment to helping people in the community and to listening as opposed to just imposing her own ideas.
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