Heilman recently concluded two-year Peace Corps commitment
Perhaps the career of David Shawver ’70 will serve as a model for a Monmouth graduate who matriculated 40 years later—Harrison Heilman ’10. Just as Shawver’s career in international education began with Peace Corps service, Heilman had his own Peace Corps experience, concluding a 27-month commitment in the Philippines on Nov. 16. Heilman isn’t sure what will come next, but a year-long contract to teach English in Japan, Korea or China is a possibility. So is enrolling in the master’s program in public health at Western Illinois University. “The staff in Manila asked me why I chose Peace Corps,” he said. “I found it strangely difficult to reply, other than say ‘I am still young and still think that I can change the world.’ I wanted to serve while I was still idealistic and not bogged down by the weight of experience and reality.” Beyond his idealistic outlook, Heilman also prepared for the experience by tailoring his majors (political science, Spanish and international studies) to match the requirements of participation in the Peace Corps. But when it comes right down to it, Heilman said, “Very little can truly prepare you for Peace Corps service. It is a unique experience. I studied Spanish in college, but I speak Tagalog at site. The fact that I previously learned another language has helped with my acquisition of Tagalog.” He continued, “Humans are humans no matter where they live. Monmouth may not have taught me how to be successful in the Peace Corps—I firmly believe nothing short of service can do that—but it empowered me to address problems critically and find solutions by combining
leeches inject an anti-coagulant when they pierce the skin. The Malaysia stage of the trip that Godde referred to as SIMS (Singapore to Indonesia to Malaysia and back to Singapore) was certainly the hardest part. “The jungle was tough, I’m not going to lie,” said Godde. “We had 60-pound packs, and it was tough hiking. If the trails had been graded, they would have been ‘advanced’ or ‘difficult.’ But I didn’t hear any complaints from the students. It was a big adventure for them.” As a safeguard, park rangers knew which “jungle hide”—a type of hut on stilts—the group planned to stay in each night. Proximity to boat traffic on nearby rivers was also a plus.
monmouth | winter 2013
information from many classes. I really appreciate the fact that I learned in a liberal arts environment. It positively affected the way I approached service.” Heilman lived in the town of Basud in the Camarines Norte province, about 350 kilometers southeast of Manila. He traveled extensively within the country to places like the Mayon Volcano and Boracay Island. “During my first few months at site, I had the opportunity to visit a place called Donsol, Sorsogon, and was able to swim with whale sharks,” he recalled. While visiting such sites has been memorable, Heilman said the real highlight was his daily work. He served a small, rural school near the ocean, where he was required to teach four hours a day with a Filipino teacher. “I was not assigned to my school by accident,” said Heilman. “Based on my experiences and my background in sports, I was sent to Dominador Narido High School to help develop its library, athletic program and remedial reading program. I have truly enjoyed the interaction with my students. This past year, more than double the number of students went to college than in the previous year.” After crediting faculty member Ken McMillan for his help with Heilman’s various positions in student government and another professor, David Suda, for teaching him Russian, Heilman added, “Countless teachers, students, staff members and friends in the town itself made my Monmouth experience special. Each of them, in their own little way, changed my world for the better.” And, through Heilman, those countless individuals are helping to make a positive impact half a world away.
While the field research in Malaysia was all about “roughing it,” Singapore was more about being pampered. “We loved the food there,” said Godde. “(Psychology professor) Kristin Larson took students to Singapore on the last SIRT, and she said, ‘You’ve got to try the chilli crab.’ And we finally did, and it was really good.” While the biology part of the trip occurred in the wilderness areas of Malaysia and Indonesia, Singapore has its own distinctive biological features. Godde reported that it’s one of just two places in the world to have a rainforest within its city limits. In Indonesia, Godde and his group delved into the politics of national parks, which was another key
Harrison Heilman said the
stock answer “I am still young and still think that I can change the world” is as good a reason as any for why he joined the Peace Corps, serving 27 months in the Philippines.
objective of the trip. “People live on the slopes of Mt. Merapi, which is very active,” he said. “During the last evacuation notice in 2010, people didn’t leave because they didn’t trust the government. So they stayed, and 300 died during the eruption.” This research was the primary focus for Isaacs, who also gathered information from the Taman Negara park in Malaysia. Columnas’ focus was Eastern religion, and she valued her exposure to the predominantly Muslim culture of the region, as well as her visits to several Buddhist temples. “This was all research that we can’t do stateside,” added Godde of SIRT, which is funded by donor support.
we’re all scots
23