NJIT Alum Denise Richard Joins First Peace Corps Volunteers Overseas Since COVID

Transitioning back from a world of COVID lockdowns and restrictions has meant something different for everyone, but for Denise Richard and the Peace Corps, a “return to normal” will soon mean resuming humanitarian efforts more than 7,000 miles away in Africa. This month, the NJIT alumna is joining the first wave of Peace Corps volunteers to restart overseas service since the agency’s global evacuation at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The journey is almost three years in the making for Richard, a New Hampshire native who graduated from NJIT in 2016 with a master’s degree in physics. She had originally applied to join in early 2020, but her plans were derailed when the Peace Corps abruptly halted operations and evacuated nearly 7,000 volunteers from more than 60 countries in March that year. 

“My reaction when I got the call was just ‘finally!’ ... I’ve waited a long time for this,” said Richard.

Richard joins a tradition of 52 NJIT students who have volunteered with the Peace Corps since the agency was founded in 1961, according to Peace Corps public affairs officials.

“The Peace Corps is a service I can give and learn from. … I believe it's something where I’ll be able to use all parts of me not just different bits and pieces.” 

Richard will serve as an education volunteer with 22 others in Kenya over the next two years, where she will make use of her academic background instructing physics, chemistry and biology to high schoolers in villages neighboring Lake Victoria.

“I have no experience in teaching, so that’ll be something new for me and perhaps the next step in my career,” said Richard. “There’s still a lot I won’t know until I get there, such as whether there will be western amenities or what level of English the students speak … You might have plans or ideas about what it will be like, but I just want to be ready for whatever is needed.

“I think everyone has to find a balance in terms of what they are comfortable with when they do something like this, but I feel good about this opportunity. It’s about being flexible, keeping an open mind and knowing yourself.”

The Peace Corps itself is embarking on quite the journey to restoring pre-pandemic levels of activity when more than 7,000 volunteers were stationed around the world — about 800 volunteers have made their way back to service in 39 countries so far.

Currently, the agency is recruiting volunteers to serve in 55 countries to resume collaborating with their host communities on locally prioritized projects in one of Peace Corps’ six sectors — agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health or youth in development.

COVID-19 response and recovery work are now also part of the Peace Corps volunteers’ efforts.

“Peace Corps volunteers returning to Kenya will work alongside community members to support urgent development efforts and build critical connections,” said Peace Corps CEO Carol Spahn in a statement.

“The world is at a critical juncture. The largest global vaccination effort in history is underway while other widespread health, social, political, and environmental issues continue to erode the foundation of our global society. Actions taken in the next few years have the potential to fundamentally impact development trajectories for decades to come.”