Fomer Cohort Members Out in the Field: Julia Richards & Lynn Debilzen

After a year of study at the University of Montana, Cohort members are sent around the world to fulfill internship requirements.

Julia Richards is a member of Cohort IV and is currently working with the Peace Corps in Azerbaijan.  In reflection of her time overseas, Julia stated on her blog, ""And I think this is what makes the difference. I have a life here. And a full life at that. One with friends and family, and friends who are like family. And students, and projects, and students who want to start their own projects. And this is real. A lot of people asked me when I first decided to do Peace Corps "How can you put your life on hold like that for two years?" But, it's not like that for me. This is my life. And while I feel like I am different person than I was 13 months ago, my life is not so much on hold, as it is on "upgrade". And really, how blessed am I to have the great privilege of living a life I never would have known had I not joined Peace Corps? To have the chance to both know and be known as Azeri-Julia."

Check out her blog to read more about her experiences in Azerbaijan-Peace Corps: http://bloggerbaijan.blogspot.com/.

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Lynn Debilzen, a Cohort IV member working with the Peace Corps in the Philippines, recently had one of her articles published in the Peace Corps Times regarding her work with youth and the IYFD program.

Check out her blog to read a copy of the article and hear more about her experiences in the Philippines-Peace Corps:
http://lynns-new-adventures.blogspot.com/

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Featured Cohort VI Student of the Week: Leah Fitch

Growing up in Southwest Ohio, Leah Fitch was sure that she wanted a life outside of the small town world that she had grown up in.  After graduating from Miami University of Ohio in 2005 with a degree in Family Studies, she moved out to Missoula, MT, to volunteer as an AmeriCorps VISTA at the YWCA of Missoula.  She worked with the Transitional Housing program with women and children who have experienced domestic violence.  After working there for two years, she started working at the Big Brothers Big Sisters in Missoula as a Match Support Specialist and starting up and running an after-school program at a local elementary school.  She continues her work as a volunteer with the YWCA doing domestic violence and sexual assault response every week and is the secretary of the Missoula Family Violence Council.  Over the years, she has combined her passion for women's and children's rights and also an interest in peace and conflict resolution in her work and in her studies at the University of Montana.  She is hoping to soon utilize her skills and an interest oversees and is planning on joining the Peace Corps in 2010.

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Featured Cohort VI Student of the Week: Daniel Wirth

Daniel Sunflower Wirth was born and raised in Indianapolis Indiana. In 2001 he graduated from Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. He majored in Psychology and minored in French. Following his College graduation he worked for Alternative Youth Adventures (AYA), a wilderness therapy program for adjudicated youth based in Montrose, CO where he held numerous positions. For four years at AYA, he enjoyed enriching and impacting the lives of youth through connecting clients to the wilderness through various educational and experiential methods. After AYA, Dan returned to Durango and worked for Fort Lewis College as an Admission Counselor for four years. Dan made the decision to come to the University of Montana while he was hiking the Colorado Trail with his wife this past summer. Dan has enjoyed his international travel to several countries throughout Europe and Central America. Upon enrolling in this program, Dan’s desire is to further understand and experience cultures within and outside the U.S. Dan would like to focus his studies specifically on male relations and improving the lives and relationships of men, women and children in society. In his free time, Dan enjoys being outside in anyway possible. Everyday Dan bikes to school, on the weekends he can be found backpacking, snowboarding, snowshoeing, climbing, running or watching his favorite football team, the Indianapolis Colts!

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Featured Cohort VI Student of the Week: Rebecca Moss

My name is Rebecca and I am 23 years old.  I graduated from Warren Wilson College (an environmental work college in Asheville, NC) with a B.A. in Psychology.  During my time there, I studied abroad in Budapest, Hungary and different parts of Turkey and Israel. I fell in love with learning as much as possible about cultures.  I am originally from Philly and have experienced the ghettos and projects there and in parts of Alabama. Because of those experiences, I found it imperative to study race and socioeconomic status.  I somewhat understand at-risk kids from rough environments and want to spend a good part of my life studying and working with that population.  I hope to go abroad and work with street kids in the Peace Corps in order to marriage the love of cultural immersion and the love of helping kids.  After the Peace Corps, I hope to figure out how to keep Philly kids in schools (drop-out rate is high).  I delight in dark chocolate, yoga, biking, and my new Cohort VI family.

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