Kaitlin McDonald '12
2009 - 2012
I cannot express how valuable having a background in French was to my work. French is used in many international organizations and is taught all over the world. I served in the Peace Corps Senegal, September 2012 to November 2014 as an Agroforestry volunteer in rural Senegal, West Africa. My work included the extension of improved Agroforestry technologies to rural Senegalese farming communities, leading trainings in tree nursery establishment, out-plantings, and assisting in fruit tree feasibility studies and fruit tree propagation techniques. My outreach consisted of local populations, collaborations with other Peace Corps volunteers, and international non-governmental organizations. The relationships I cultivated in Senegal were augmented by my base knowledge of the French language. From buying vegetables in the local market to working with international non-governmental organizations; the foundation that French provided allowed for a more fulfilling and productive experience.
In fall of 2016 I will begin a M.S. program in Environmental Science and Policy at Johns Hopkins University. Equipped with my education in French, I hope to incorporate a different perspective into my graduate degree and help bridge the gap between the scientific and international communities. Though the environmental problems that plague Senegal are unique to that region, desertification and the ramifications that accompany it are a global concern. Having an understanding of the French language, both from my time in the French Program at NMU and in the Peace Corps, will enable and encourage international collaboration to working towards a solution both in the United States and abroad.
