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FROM THE
PEACE CORPS TO
THUNDERBIRD
- A N AT U R A L T R A N S I T I O N
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t was 60 years ago that President John F. Kennedy created the Peace Corps, to “promote world peace and friendship.” In the decades since, Thunderbird has welcomed Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) who, like all T-birds, have a unique perspective on the world. Moving from the Peace Corps to Thunderbird is a natural transition because the values and perspectives of RPCVs and all T-birds are similarly rooted in global citizenship and a dedication to improving people’s lives. Through hands-on, cross-cultural experiences, RPCVs have cultivated a global mindset, emotional intelligence, and compassionate attitudes. To that experience, Thunderbird adds concentrated training in global business, management, leadership, and international affairs along with opportunities for hands-on consulting in emerging and developed markets. Together, the Peace Corps and Thunderbird equip students with the resiliency, adaptability, and creativity to propel their careers and change the world.
“Had it not been for the Peace Corps, I probably wouldn’t have gone to Thunderbird. Thunderbird inspired me to pursue an international business career in an era when women didn’t have a lot of career options,” Hayes said. “These experiences opened up the world for me.” In 2019, in an effort to provide others the same opportunity, Hayes funded the Thunderbird Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Scholarship. She encourages other alumni to donate in order to expand the program’s reach.
John Cullison ’72, Master of International Management Peace Corps 1968-70, Ethiopia During his two-year tour in Ethiopia, John Cullison and his team developed a program to help farmers properly clean and dry cowhides in order to maximize
MEET SOME OF OUR RETURNED PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER T-BIRDS Susan Hayes ’72, Master of International Management Peace Corps 1968-70, Colombia Susan Hayes served two years in El Tambo and Pasto, Nariño, Colombia, where she lived and worked teaching classes to women and girls on nutrition, cooking, home sanitation, and creating handicrafts from locally available materials that they could sell to supplement family income. Upon completion of her time in the Peace Corps, she attended Thunderbird on a full-ride scholarship based on her Peace Corps service.
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THUNDERBIRD MAGAZINE SPRING 2021
A worker in Ethiopia cleans and dries cowhide for sale.
