Local Peace Corps volunteer to visit KSU Wednesday

Matthew Merchant

Ohio native Sarah Finnegan, a Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine, will be visiting Kent State on Wednesday to discuss her work with the Peace Corps, as well as how students can get involved and the benefits of volunteering overseas.

The informational session will take place in Room 314 of the Student Center at 5 p.m., and Kent State Peace Corps recruiter Annabel Khouri will moderate the event. Students will have the opportunity to learn about the history of the Corps, how to apply to be an overseas volunteer and where volunteers are assigned around the world, according to a news release.

Finnegan, 2004 Hudson High School graduate, earned her bachelor’s in international relations in 2009 from Ohio State University where she became interested in Russia, foreign languages and studying abroad.

“I started researching the Peace Corps and fell in love with its message and purpose,” she said in a news release. “I thought the opportunity to be a ‘mini-ambassador’ overseas was too good to pass up.”

According to the Peace Corps website, Finnegan is currently serving as an English education volunteer in a rural Ukrainian community. She is one of about 300 Ohio residents serving overseas in areas related to education, economic development and youth development. This is her first trip to the United States since leaving for the Ukraine in September 2012.

The Peace Corps was established in 1961, almost a year after John F. Kennedy challenged students at the University of Michigan to serve the country through pursuing peace and living and working in developing countries.

For more information on the event or the Corps, contact Jessica Mayle at [email protected].

Contact Matthew Merchant at [email protected].