Peoria native Zach Jeremiah ’08 earned his degree in Organizational Management and is putting those skills to good use as a member of the Peace Corps. He recently shared his experiences with us.
Q: What led you to join the Peace Corps and what sorts of experiences were you hoping it would provide?
A: Well, I had a classic fork in the road experience that led me here. My first love is baseball, and I hope to one day work in the front office of a major league club. Towards the end of college I was talking with the Pittsburgh Pirates front office about an internship doing exactly that. However, I also wanted to cover my bases, and doing service was the other path I had great interest in. I interviewed with Teach for America and the Peace Corps, but my wanderlust made the Peace Corps my far and away first choice. For awhile it looked like I¨d have to make the tough decision between PC and the Pirates, but when the internship fell through at the last moment I was spared that. And when I saw that I would be going to Peru, I was instantly pleased that it worked out like it did.
As for what I was hoping to gain from the experience- complete immersion in a new culture and the ability to live and travel in a continent I was so unfamiliar with were the prime motivators. And to be able to do all this while using the education I was lucky enough to receive to help others was about as ideal as it gets.
Read more Q & A about Zach Jeremiah’s experiences in the Peace Corps. (pdf)
Hey Zach,
I was in Dr. Brown’s tax class with you. Great to hear that your experience is going well. Sounds like an interesting adventure, to say the least. I think your experience will put you well ahead of your peers when you begin looking for a career in business. Congrats on making a wise choice and helping others.
Scott Stanley ’90 & ’08
Zack was a very good student in my MQM 380 class where students learn about team-building while doing a community service project. I remember Zack’s interest in working in baseball but am pleases that he is “giving back” in this first job after graduation. He is a dedicated and motivated person who will do well no matter what he is doing.