Murray State alumni are working around the world. John Eads graduated with a degree in social work last spring and is now a volunteer with the Peace Corps, working to reform the juvenile detention system in Peru. Matt Markgraf had a chance to speak with Eads while he was in town to learn more about his work in the Peace Corps, what living in Peru is like, his plans for the future, and advice for anyone interested in joining the program.
John Eads lives in the city of Cajamarca in the northern highlands of Peru. He'd been to Peru before after studying abroad in Chile. When he applied to the Peace Corps, he says he didn't get a say so as to where he wanted to go. They ask you where you want to go, he says, but they'll ultimately assign you where they need you. As luck would have it, he happened to be in Peru at the time he was told he'd be working there.
There's a wide spectrum of developing nations in which the Peace Corps operates, he says. Many countries in Africa are on the lower end of the spectrum and Peru is one of the more developed countries on their list. Peru thrives off of the tourism culture, particularly Lima, Cusco and Arequipa. The northern highlands, however, is not as popular for tourists. In many places, including where he is located, one can find running water (not potable), toilets, electricity and internet. Yet the difference in Peru is stark - while Lima has WiFi, shopping malls and Starbucks, the rural parts of the country are dirt floor homes and open fires with wood to cook food.
Having just arrived back in Peru, Eads says he'll be doing some traveling with family before returning to work. He'll visit the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Cusco and says the real hidden gem of Peru are the beaches - some of the most beautiful he'd ever seen. Zorritos, Mancora and Huanchaco are surfer hideouts and outside of them, it's all locals. They're not huge tourist spots, but worth visiting - if one is up for venturing off the beaten path.
With the Peace Corps, Eads developed a program for 18 to 24 year-old incarcerated youth, helping them get back into society. He works with psychologists and the local municipality preparing youth to reintegrate into society. These are often first-time offenders and will be released in a short term relative to terms other might be serving. He helps prepare them by looking at skills for the future" how to interview for a job, what kind of job, vocational orientation to determine skill sets, how to budget, how to plan ahead, setting goals and reaching them. Everything comes back to self-esteem, he says. It's the main issue. The program was developed with the youth - they said they wanted to learn these skills: self-esteem, communication, family relations, planning for the future.
There's not a big difference in terms of the way juvenile justice and criminal justice systems in Peru work compared to the United States, Eads says. This isn't to say that Peru has it all figured out, but rather we have a long way to go. The idea of putting people in jail and expecting them to change but not offering them any services is cyclical, he says, when they get out no one gives them a job because no one helped them while they were imprisoned.
Eads' honors thesis at Murray State focused on cultural relativism. He looked at how culture can be a game changer in the world of social work. Clients have needs for basic social services, but their culture may affect the way they access or respond to these services. When it comes to mental health, emotions are a social construction, he says, citing a small Micronesian culture who has three expressions for missing someone (someone who leaves temporarily, someone who leaves long term and someone who has died). When looking at a culture, things that seem concrete and set in stone that you've never analyzed can be worlds apart and totally different.
If one is interested in joining the Peace Corps, Eads says the process has changed a bit since he applied, but says it's still something like: you apply, tell your preferences for program and country, fill out the application at peacecorps.gov, then you'll have an interview with a recruiter. He recommends talking to as many people as possible who have been involved in the program and read everything you can find online. Everyone's experience is unique, he says, and it's important to be informed and know what you're getting into.
Finishing work with the Peace Corps this December, Eads says he plans on moving back to Murray while his fiancee finishes work at Murray State. He's looking to move to Austin, Texas for his Masters degree. Beyond that, he wants to work in the criminal justice system, applying what he's learned in Memphis and Peru. He says, "You go in thinking there's a world of difference, and there is in certain aspects, but at the same there's a lot more similarities than differences so it's very transferrable."
