Career Paths: Finding Rewards in the Peace Corps
In 2025, ñ for Peace Corps volunteers. Among them are Leeds graduates who are turning global service into a launchpad for meaningful careers.
Kathryn Wendell, executive director of the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility (CESR), believes Leeds students are especially well-prepared for Peace Corps roles. “Any student coming from Leeds has great hard skills and collaborative teamwork experience that they can apply,” she said.
Wendell speaks from experience. She served in Ecuador, helping women entrepreneurs access microloans and business training. While her degrees in cultural anthropology and Spanish were valuable, she had to learn business skills on the job. That's not the case for Leeds students, she noted:
“Leeds students come in with relevant skills already developed. Whether it’s finance, strategy, marketing or operations, these are all transferable to local community members aspiring to strengthen their businesses and access new economic opportunities.”
From Boulder to Paraguay: Ben Dant’s journey
One of Ben Dant's roles in Paraguay was teaching entrepreneurship to high school students.
Ben Dant (Mgmt’17) was inspired by a great uncle who served in the Peace Corps, seeing the opportunity as a way to combine his interests in service, sustainability and global learning.
When Dant applied after several years of work in the music business post-graduation, he noted that he was willing to be stationed anywhere. He was initially assigned to Colombia in 2020—plans that were derailed by COVID-19. That didn’t deter him from keeping his application active, ultimately landing him in Paraguay in 2023.
“I’ve always been interested in the service angle and sustainability, and I have a real passion for learning about the world,” he said.
Dant has worked in economic development, co-teaching entrepreneurship and business planning to high school students. In Paraguay, students choose majors in high school in the same way college students do in the U.S. His school focused on technology, offering marketing, accounting and business administration topics.
“We helped students create business plans, in addition to forming savings groups to fund real projects. The goal was to work with government agencies to build a culture of localized entrepreneurship and financial literacy."
Outside the classroom, Dant found a deep, special connection with the community. “Paraguayans are so inviting. I was a stranger who showed up, and I got to know everyone in town over two years”—something that would be rare in the U.S., he believes.
He credits the Peace Corps with helping him build resilience and integrity. On a LinkedIn post, Dant applauded a Peace Corps friend who noted: "You show up because you gave your word,” and “You do the hard things, even when no one is watching."
“Those are two things that I could never had said better myself about how Peace Corps service has taught me about integrity and doing the work to reach the bigger goal,” said Dant. He has found the experience so rewarding that he’s serving for another year in Paraguay, working as an extension volunteer for an NGO.
Empowering youth in Thailand: Kiera Hurley’s impact
Kiera Hurley with her tourism group at a local temple.
Kiera Hurley (Mktg’23), who earned certificates in Social Responsibility and Ethics and Global Business, is serving in Thailand in the Youth in Development sector. Her decision to join the Peace Corps was driven by a desire to make a difference and immerse herself in a new culture.
“The Peace Corps has a strong legacy of developing impactful leaders across diverse fields, and I aspire to be one of them,” she said. Leeds helped propel that mindset.
“Leeds is a community full of adventurous, good-spirited and forward-thinking students, professors and staff,” she said.
“My professors shared a wealth of experience and wisdom while giving us the space to form our own opinions and values. CESR curated an environment where all students felt drawn to sustainability, not just as a concept, but as a way of living.”
Hurley’s work focuses on building leadership, confidence and global awareness among youth. She teaches in classrooms, runs an afterschool volleyball club, and led a Self-Love English Camp. One of her proudest achievements is creating a world map mural that will live on in the school, opening students’ minds to international cultures and traditions.
Her most memorable project to date was launching a tourism club at a local school. The club taught public speaking, video creation and sustainable tourism, culminating in student-led video tours of a local temple. “This project was a win for everyone involved. The temple has since asked the students to continue serving as tour guides and continue promoting its cultural significance.”
Keira Hurley in front of the world map she created with her students.
Hurley also serves as multimedia director for , an online magazine that shares stories from Peace Corps volunteers in Thailand. She also regularly posts dispatches on her personal .
“I want people back home to see the kind, generous spirit of the Thai people and the deep sense of community I feel here.”
Business skills in action
Both Dant and Hurley emphasized how their Leeds education prepared them for Peace Corps service. Hurley applied her SRE certificate experience directly to her work in Thailand.
“As a student consultant, I learned problem-solving, creative thinking and how to focus on long-term impact,” she said.
Early in her service, she conducted a SWOT analysis with local leaders to identify community strengths and challenges.
Dant echoed the importance of adaptability and strategic thinking:
“It’s a sink-or-swim environment. You learn how to adapt, persist and work across cultures."
Launching careers with purpose
For Wendell (pictured left), Peace Corps service is more than a personal journey—it’s a professional springboard. “It helped me get my job at the World Bank and later at Chevron working on corporate responsibility,” she said. “Companies value people who’ve worked abroad, who can navigate diverse teams and lead with integrity.”
As an example, she pointed to Noel Kinder, who spoke at Leeds in 2023, mentioning that his Peace Corps work in Honduras shaped his career, leading him to the chief sustainability officer role at Nike (he is now the vice president of sustainability at Lululemon).
Hurley hopes to continue working at the intersection of values-driven business and humanitarian work. “I’m drawn to roles that advocate for ESG change, ethical supply chains and environmental education,” she said. “I want to empower girls and women in meaningful ways.”
Dant is keeping an open mind about specific roles, but he knows whatever he does, he wants it to be purpose-driven. “I’d love to continue working internationally, whether through nonprofits, sustainable businesses or NGOs,” he said.
A path worth considering
Would they recommend the Peace Corps to others? Absolutely.
“It builds skills you wouldn’t be pushed to develop otherwise,” said Dant. “If you have any interest in international work, I’m not sure there’s a better way to learn.”
Hurley would agree. “It’s easy to follow the roadmap we’ve been given and go straight from college into a job, but this experience will open your mind and heart. It’s extremely challenging in many different ways. Peace Corps volunteers learn a new language, adapt to a new culture and are away from friends and family. But as we all know, growth often comes from discomfort,” she said.
Wendell, Dant and Hurley all agreed: overcoming obstacles and navigating setbacks is an essential part of the experience. Wendell summed it up:
“The Peace Corps made me a much more appreciative and resilient individual."