SUNY Oneonta Alumna Volunteering with Peace Corps in Guatemala

As a student at SUNY Oneonta, Class of 2022 alumna Nicole Bausenwein became interested in international development, learned how to write a grant and conduct research, and participated in the SUNY COIL Global Commons summer program, which allowed her to collaborate with a Non-Government Organization in Nigeria.

Now, she's putting these skills and experiences to use as one of the first Peace Corps volunteers to return overseas after the agency's unprecedented suspension of operations in March 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Serving as a youth in development volunteer in Guatemala, Nicole is working alongside community members to support urgent development efforts, build critical connections, and engage in COVID-19 response and recovery work. She arrived in Guatemala on Oct. 4 and will be stationed there until December 2024.