The Peace Corps is a service opportunity for motivated changemakers to immerse themselves in a community abroad\, working side by side with local leaders to tackle the most pressing challe nges of our generation. Peace Corps volunteers lead grassroots efforts to protect the environment and strengthen understanding of environmental issu es in communities worldwide. Come and listen to local guest speakers share their stories of their travels across the globe. \;
\nThis Seri es complements P eace Corps Week 2024 which takes place this year from Sunday\, Februar y 25 through Saturday\, March 2
\nTuesday\, February 13 at 6
:30 p.m. - Marc and Billi Zielinski\, Turkmenistan 2000-2001
Billi and Marc Zielinski served in the Peace Corps from 2000 to 2001 in T
urkmenistan\, Central Asia. They were both Business Volunteers. Marc worke
d with agricultural cooperatives and Billi with entrepreneurs. They learne
d Turkmen and Russian and outside of their main projects\, they also taugh
t English and were camp instructors. Their tour was cut short after 9/11.
After living in Washington\, DC and \;St. Paul\, MN\, they returned to
the Red River Valley. Marc has worked the last 20 years for DC-based Amer
ican Councils as a Program Manager and Billi is the President and CEO of M
ake-A-Wish North Dakota. They have two children and live in Moorhead\, MN.
Tuesday\, February 20 at 6:30 p.m.- Terry Luschen\, Camer
oon 1995-1997
Terry Luschen served in the Peace Corps from 1
995 - 1997 in Cameroon\, Africa. While there he served as a Math and Compu
ter teacher in a Technical School in Kumba in the Southwest province. Whil
e in Cameroon he learned to speak some basic French and Pidgin. Terry enjo
yed traveling around Cameroon\, doing a summer trip over to Kenya/Tanzania
and even participating in the Mount Cameroon annual race. After the Peace
Corps Terry has been in the software development industry and currently w
orks for Perficient in Fargo doing Salesforce implementations. Terry also
has coached football in the Fargo/Moorhead area at Oak Grove High school a
nd Concordia College. Terry lives with his wife\, Tifani and three childre
n near Glyndon\, MN. \; \;
Tuesday\, February 27 a
t 6:30 p.m. - Dr. Anne Walker\, Marshall Islands 1987-1989
A
nne Walker served as a health educator in the Peace Corps in the tiny Paci
fic nation of the Marshall Islands. While there she was asked to teach an
English class which began her 36-year career in teaching and improving edu
cation for culturally and linguistically diverse students. She has worked
as an English Learner teacher\, professor\, international teacher trainer
and college dean. She is currently a Professor of Education at Concordia C
ollege. She lives in Moorhead with her husband\, loves to spend time with
her three young adult children and is an avid gardener. \;