Peace Corps Masters International and Coverdell Fellows Students

Returned Peace Corps Master's International Student Admitted 2013

Lauren Birks was born in raised in Dallas, Texas. Her passion for service began at a young age, but it was a high school mission trip to Honduras that opened her eyes to international service. While completing her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Teacher Certification in Middle Grades Math from The University of Texas at Austin Lauren was introduced to social work through an internship at Wediko Children's Services in Windsor, New Hampshire. Upon graduating from UT Austin Lauren hoped to pursue a Master of Social Work and the Peace Corps to further her passion in working with youth, service, and cross-cultural experiences. Through the Master’s International Program she was able to combine her graduate work and Peace Corps service. Lauren served as a Youth Development volunteer in Costa Rica, in which she appreciated having a year of grad school prior to serving to help her think and learn about global social work and the importance of cultural context. Lauren’s time in Costa Rica taught her that desiring tangible results for change is understandable, but it is the relationships you build with someone that have the lasting impressions. In her short time as Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Lauren sees how the skills she learned from her Peace Corps projects and her community are helping her implement new and creative interpersonal interventions.

Returned Peace Corps Master's International Student Admitted 2013

Lillie is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Peace Corps Botswana 2014-2016 in the Life Skills program area. In Botswana, Lillie taught elementary students library and computer lessons, facilitated an after school leadership club, and built a community garden. She is a Management student with a minor in Social Policy and Evaluation and is working towards a Child Welfare Certificate. She has interned with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washtenaw County, Kids-TALK Children’s Advocacy Center, and Child Protective Services. Currently, Lillie works on campus with University Productions as a House Manager at the beautiful Power Center and Lydia Mendelssohn Theaters. Previously, she worked for Boys and Girls Clubs of Bellevue, Children’s Home Society of Washington, and Hopelink. Lillie hopes to learn more about systems change in the field of child welfare during her final year in the MSW program. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, cooking, reading, and hiking.

Peace Corps Masters International Student Admitted 2014

Michael grew up in Bronx, New York. He graduated from the State University of New York at Binghamton with a BS in Human Development and a minor in Africana Studies. Michael completed 3 years of Peace Corps service in the Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland) under the Youth Development sector as part of his Masters International program. During his first 2 years, he taught life skills, promoted basketball, organized boys & girls club, fundraised for two national boys camp, promoted English literacy, and built several playgrounds. He worked for an NGO as a sports coordinator of a multipurpose sports center during his 3rd year. His role was to encourage volunteerism and promote community driven sports program. He wrote a grant to provide sports equipment for basketball, tennis, volleyball, squash, badminton, cricket, and soccer. Michael believes that sports have the power to promote resiliency in youth and help them cope with the many stressors they may encounter.

Coverdell Fellow Student Admitted 2016

Mikayla Bowen spent most of her life in Michigan, which is perhaps the very reason she desired to see more of the world. Mikayla attended Michigan State University for her undergraduate studies, specializing in Social Sciences and Secondary Education. Education is what drew her to social justice issues, as she saw how schools perpetuate systems of oppression. After two years of teaching in the United States, she knew it was time for a change and joined the Peace Corps. She served as an education volunteer in South Africa. While her primary focus was teaching English to grade 6 and 7 learners, her favorite moments occurred outside the classroom. Her proudest accomplishment was applying for a Let Girls Learn grant, through which she was able to host a workshop on challenging gender norms. The workshop brought together stakeholders from diverse organizations, including the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the Department of Basic Education, and rural schools, clinics, and non-profit organizations. She also cherished the time she spent teaching literacy to grade 1 students and simply enjoying being welcomed as a true member of her host family and community. Mikayla's experiences in South Africa have taught her cultural humility and have inspired her to pursue community organizing in her career as a social worker.

Peace Corps Masters International Student Admitted 2015

Nathalie Josué is currently studying Community Organization with Children, Youth in Families. Born to Haitian parents, she migrated to the U.S. at age 15. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Florida Atlantic University, and a Master of Arts in International Peace and Security from the University of London. Nathalie served in Swaziland as a Youth Development volunteer from 2016 - 2018. During her service, her most favored projects surrounded her tenure as a national Director for Peace Corps' girls' empowerment program GLOW (Girls Leading Our World). GLOW clubs are run by approximately 70 Swazi nationals (also known as GLOW counselors) whom she along with the other three directors, and local partnering organizations, worked to capacitate through a number of national trainings, and events. Peace Corps service has undoubtedly deepened her passion for community organizing and youth development work. She hopes to work alongside well-intentioned professionals that work to capacitate, and embolden the youth, especially Black, and Brown, to be the best version of themselves-so that they will not just struggle on but, they will thrive. Nathalie is an avid self-love advocate, Black hair and skin cosmetic DIYer and storyteller.

Peace Corps Master's International Student Admitted 2014

Nikki grew up in Santa Rosa, California, but attended high school in Newbury Park, CA. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Child Development, and a minor in Psychology at California State University, Chico. Her love for serving children and underrepresented populations grew while she taught at the university preschool. She became a Master's International student at University of Michigan, School of Social Work in 2014. She continued to promote social and economic justice when she served in Peace Corps Lesotho, southern Africa as an education volunteer from 2015-2017. There she taught English and Life Skills, co-facilitated clubs and HIV education programs, and implemented teacher training workshops. She recently returned from Lesotho to complete her Master's in Social Work. She plans to graduate from the MSW program April 2018 and pursue an international social work position. She values her opportunity to travel, build relationships, and experience new cultures, but hopes to return to California one day. Her goal is to become a licensed School Social Worker, and spend her holidays and free time exploring the beautiful terrain of her home state.

Peace Corps Masters International Student Admitted 2015

Rachel was born and raised in San Diego, CA and received degrees in psychology and Spanish from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has spent time living in Spain, the US Virgin Islands, and most recently Peru, where she served as a Youth Development Volunteer with the Peace Corps. While in Peru, Rachel lived with a host family in a rural Andean mountain town and worked with the local high school to design and teach a comprehensive life skills program. Along with the nurse at the local heath post, Rachel implemented a health education program where student volunteers were trained in reproductive health and leadership to become peer health promoters in their community. Though originally interested in strictly interpersonal practice, Rachel credits her Peace Corps service with her burgeoning interest in policy and leadership. She plans to continue challenging herself to learn more about people all over the world, and to use those experiences to be a culturally sensitive social worker. After graduation, Rachel hopes to work with empowering and amplifying the voices of children and youth in the child welfare system. She also dreams of working alongside her puppy Teddy, whom she plans to train as a therapy dog.

Coverdell Fellow Student Admitted 2017

Sarah grew up in Seattle, Washington and graduated from Western Washington University in 2012 with a Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy and French. She served in the Peace Corps in Benin,West Africa from 2013-2015 as a rural community health volunteer. There she focused on maternal and child health as well as education advancement at the local middle school. One of her biggest projects was fundraising to expand the school and add four more classrooms. She most recently worked for Seattle Public Health, meeting with families who participated in a food assistance program. She worked with them on nutrition education, child development and access to resources. As a Coverdell Fellow in the Community Based Initiative she wants to work with the people of Detroit in pursuing social change and economic sustainability. She has a passion for working with children, youth and families as well as immigrant and refugee populations. She also hopes to work internationally again to gain further knowledge into how social workers in America can be more effective in the fight for social justice.