From New Product Planner to Peace Corps Trainer

Palo Alto, California

Valerie Stinger, shown at left, wanted to give back in developing countries, so she joined the Peace Corps.

Stalled in commute traffic approaching South San Francisco on Highway 101, I realized I'd met my financial goals, my professional goals, my personal goals. I either needed to change my goals to justify playing in traffic or get out of the commute lane.

I didn't want a plane, a boat or a motorcycle, so the burden, and the freedom, of choice was mine. I redirected myself. I wanted to give something back; I wanted to experience a different culture; I wanted to test the concept of lifelong learning.

I applied to the U.S. Peace Corps and several months later found myself in Settat, Morocco. I taught business students, I worked with an artisan business, I helped tailor Camp GLOW (Girl’s Leading Our World) for adolescent girls.

On my return, I continued to work with hopeful "entrepreneurs" in developing countries: people in the former Soviet Union, weavers in Lesotho, vendors in Sudan.

A year ago I implemented a program in Juba, Southern Sudan, providing basic business skills and HIV/AIDS training. It is a wonderful world, and these hopeful people have taught me so much that I have brought back into my life in the U.S.

I continue to work in developing countries. Each experience is gratifying; from each, I learn more than I leave. As much I am pulled to developing country work, I am drawn to my home community.

A primary channel for me has been to serve on a Library Advisory Commission which reports to our City Council. As a commission we have developed a strategy to improve library infrastructure in the city. And now, as individuals, our energies are promoting a bond measure to fund this vital community service.

At home and away, the experiences feed each other. From developing countries, I bring home a perspective, realizing how lucky we are and how fragile our democracy is. To developing countries, I bring an optimism, appreciating how much an individual can accomplish and how much a strong community fosters individual pursuits.

See Valerie Stinger's profile