Senior Kayla Beasley Selected for Peace Corps Service in Uganda

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Kayla Beasley

MACON – Mercer University senior Kayla Beasley was recently selected to serve in the Peace Corps in Uganda beginning in June.

Beasley, from Peachtree City, is a global health studies major with minors in global development and history.

As a community health educator, she will work with Ugandan health clinics and community-based organizations to address four main areas: HIV prevention and mitigation; maternal and child health; water, hygiene and sanitation; and malaria prevention.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer and put into action all of the knowledge and skills that I have gained from my education here at Mercer over the past four years,” said Beasley.

“Fieldwork experience is something that is essential to work in the global health and development field, and the International and Global Studies Department at Mercer, as well as the University as a whole, has always stressed the importance of community engagement. I hope to fully immerse myself into another culture and community in which I hope to not only aid in delivering invaluable information to my community members, but to also learn life skills and knowledge from them as well. This opportunity will take me out of my comfort zone in order to develop professionally as well as personally.”

Beasley has served as an intern at the United States Agency for International Development, as well as historian, vice president of fellowship and member of Alpha Phi Omega national service fraternity. She also has participated in Model World Health Organization and tutored at Rosa Jackson Community Center in Macon.

Following her Peace Corps service, she plans to attend graduate school to pursue a Master of Public Health and/or Master of International Public Policy degree and work in the field of community health development.

“Kayla is a highly motivated student and well prepared for this experience,” said Dr. Chinekwu Obidoa, assistant professor of global health. “Her senior thesis has been focused on examining the impact of participation in the Peace Corps on the professional trajectories of former volunteers. She has acquired a unique set of skills here at Mercer, and I look forward to hearing about how she applies all she has learned in her work as a Peace Corps volunteer. I believe this opportunity in Uganda will definitely serve her well personally and professionally.”

The Peace Corps, established by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, is a volunteer program administered by the U.S. government to send the best and brightest Americans abroad to tackle the most pressing needs of people around the world. To date, more than 225,000 Americans have served in 141 countries. For more information, visit www.peacecorps.gov.