W&J senior selected for service in Peace Corps

Created: December 19, 2018  |  Last Updated: April 2, 2020  |  Category:   |  Tagged:

WASHINGTON, PA (Dec. 19, 2018)—Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) senior Richard Habgood ’19 was tapped for a job with the Peace Corps following his graduation this coming spring.

Richard will spend two years in Moldova, a country in Eastern Europe, working as a community development facilitator. The job allows Richard to put his economics major to work in combination with his passion for service projects.

“In high school, a group of friends and I started a local service project in our area, and I discovered I enjoyed doing the logistical side of that work,” Richard said. “Over the past year I’ve been thinking about what I wanted to do with my degree, and I became really interested in community planning.”

Richard began researching the opportunities available to him in the Peace Corps and found the community development position in Moldova was a perfect match for his interests. He was thrilled to be accepted into the program, contingent upon completing his medical and federal clearance checks.

Although he doesn’t know the specifics of his assignment yet, Richard is ready to put in the work to serve the community into which he is placed. The aforementioned nonprofit group he founded with his friends—called My Calling Ministries—is still going strong to this day, growing from 15 initial participants to more than 200 this year. Richard has continued to work with the group during his time away from W&J, and he’s also traveled on mission trips to South Dakota, West Virginia, New York, and Alaska in the past. At W&J, Richard has been involved with the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega (APO) and has been the treasurer and philanthropy chair for the fraternity Delta Tau Delta.

As he prepares to learn more about his assignment and depart for Moldova in the summer, Richard feels confident in the skills he’s gained at W&J.

“It’s a lot of grass roots development, which is where I’d like to start, because it’s hands on and a good use of my degree,” Richard said. “As I see my path unfolding in front of me, I can see how classes I’ve taken will impact me, even though I’m not sure what I will be facing.”

Richard is one of three W&J students joining the Peace Corps following graduation. Lucero Lopez ’19 will serve as an English teacher in Cambodia, while Abby Peace ’19 will serve as a community health facilitator in The Gambia.

About Washington & Jefferson College

Washington & Jefferson College, located in Washington, Pa., is a selective liberal arts college founded in 1781. Committed to providing each of its students with the highest-quality undergraduate education available, W&J offers a traditional arts and sciences curriculum emphasizing interdisciplinary study and independent study work. For more information about W&J, visit washjeff.dev, or call 888-W-AND-JAY.