Overseas work can pay off
■ Many graduating students
find happiness, self-worth,
well-being and cash by
getting employment abroad
By Serena Markstrom
Oregon Daily Emerald
Instead of filling out W4s and
showing two forms of ID, many
students are opting to collect
stamps on their passports by
working abroad after they gradu
ate.
Whether through the Peace
Corps, Global Graduates or the
Japanese Exchange and Teaching
program these students have
found for them, the best first step
after graduating is on foreign soil.
Heather Zissler, who will grad
uate with degrees in internation
al studies and Spanish, is no
stranger to traveling, having par
ticipated in two exchange pro
grams. She will get a longer taste
of something sweeter when she
ventures to South America to
work as a beekeeper for the Peace
Corps.
Zissler’s first choice was a com
munity service project and she
was surprised by her placement
as a beekeeper, but she said she is
eager to learn the task of beekeep
ing.
“I really wanted to be in Latin
America,” Zissler said.
Dave Kaplowe, a senior who
will also travel to South America
as a volunteer, said he chose the
Peace Corps because he has not
had a break from school since he
began.
“I wanted to do something
hands-on,” said Kaplowe, a dou
ble major in biology and Spanish.
“I need an adventure. I’ve been in
static classrooms for too long.”
Though Kaplowe does not yet
know where he will be placed or
what he will be doing, he may
work with environmental educa
tion or teach English.
Another option students with
degrees have is to teach English
abroad in the Japan Exchange and
Teaching program, which began
in 1987 to promote foreign lan
guage education in Japan.
Hillary Knox, a journalism and
Spanish double major, will travel
to Okinawa in July and spend one
year teaching English through the
JET program.
People who travel, Knox said,
“have more opportunities to find
out who they are and what they
are good at. They also*have more
of a chance of being happy in the
long run.”
Though Knox has a public rela
tions focus in the journalism
school, she said she thinks the ex
perience in Japan will help her
career in the long run.
“Any experience in communi
cating with people and adapting
will help with PR,” Knox said. “I
think I’ll be better when I get
back.”
Another prospective JET partic
ipant, Gabby Lobue, also spent
her sophomore year in Japan on
an exchange program.
She too will teach in Okinawa,
which is a rural area, and said
“It’s a good opportunity to ex
pand my knowledge of the Japan
ese language. ... I like Japan.
What better thing is there to do
than facilitate someone else’s ed
ucation?”
The salaries participants earn
with JET varies, but Lobue said
she will make enough to pay off
her student loans.
Students can also get a range of
experiences, including English
instruction, by participating in
the Global Graduates internship
program.
Kathy Poole, program coordi
nator, said students who have in
ternship, study or work-abroad
experience stand out to employ
ers.
“It is a distinguishing experi
ence for somebody when they go
out to look for jobs,” Poole said.
Wesley Jones will teach English
to underprivileged children in
International
options for grads
Global Graduates
http://www.orst.edu/dept/int_ed/
global_grads/
Peace Corps
http://www.peacecorps.gov/home
.html
Japan Exchange and Teaching
Program
http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/vis
i t/jet/i ndex. h tm I
Brazil through the program. He
will also receive academic credit
to finish degrees in international
studies and history.
“I chose to do this particular
program because my personal
and academic interests lie in in
ternational non-profit and grass
roots work.” Jones said. “The po
sition will also serve as field
research for my thesis.”
Other students chose the Glob
al Graduates program to prepare
for careers once they graduate.
Kendall Dodd will teach in
Guadalajara, Mexico, in the fall.
She plans to teach high school
and the program combines her
desire to travel with the necessity
to gain experience in her chosen
field.
“It’s important to start traveling
when you are younger,” Dodd
said. “It seems like a perfect pro
gram. ... College is what you
make of it; [students] should take
advantage of what it has to offer.”
These traveling students said
many others do not believe they
can take risks to travel or are pres
sured to go into traditional jobs af
ter graduation.
Though Kaplowe said he feels
some apprehension about leaving
his friends for two years, he is
more excited for the opportunity
to travel and be out of the class
room.
“I think I’m going to love it,”
Kaplowe said. “It’s now or never.”
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