When Rebekkah Chatham was a college freshman, she decided to attend an information session about the Peace Corps. It was intriguing, and after she transferred to University of Houston-Clear Lake, she decided to tailor her interests to gain the college experiences that the Peace Corps needed so she could join their ranks. She graduated in May 2018, and in January, her interest in the Peace Corps will become a reality.
“I wasn’t sure how I was going to get there, but I knew the Peace Corps was competitive and since I knew they look for people who volunteer a lot, I started doing that,” she said. “There are six sectors in the Peace Corps — agriculture, education, health, community economic development, youth in development, and environment. I never wanted to be a teacher, but I chose education because it fit my skills and experience best.”
She added that much of her volunteer experience came from working with children and youth. “I had already become a teacher when I chose which sector to apply to,” she said.
After she got her Bachelor of Science in Sociology, Chatham took a position teaching preschool in Baytown. “I am doing this partially because of the Peace Corps, and partially because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” she said. “I have grown to love teaching. I’ve developed a passion for it. I want my students to have that same excitement for learning.”
In a few short weeks, Chatham will be going to Albania to teach English. “I don’t yet know what age group I’ll be teaching, and I’ll also have a secondary project, but I don’t know what it will be. I will have the opportunity to do something with young people,” she said. “I’m interested in the Girls Leading Our World project, which helps girls find their place in the world.”
She said she would be in Albania for 27 months, beginning with a three-month language and immersion training. “I had always thought I would work in a government agency of some kind,” she said. “Sociologists look for patterns of behavior, and I’ve always thought I’d like to work in the FBI or in counterintelligence. But I feel it’s possible this experience could really change me.”
She added that this is something she’s been looking forward to since her freshman year. “I never thought the time would come,” she said. “I know I will be different, and more in tune with myself and the world. This will be a complete culture change for me, and I know I will learn and I expect to grow.”
Find out more about UHCL’s Bachelor of Science in Sociology online.
