Peace Corps Speaker Series

Join us for presentations by Peace Corps volunteers in your community, from Turkmenistan to Cameroon to the Marshall Islands. All are welcome!

The Peace Corps is a service opportunity for motivated changemakers to immerse themselves in a community abroad, working side by side with local leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation. Peace Corps volunteers lead grassroots efforts to protect the environment and strengthen understanding of environmental issues in communities worldwide. Come and listen to local guest speakers share their stories of their travels across the globe.

This Series complements Peace Corps Week 2024, which takes place this year from Sunday, February 25, through Saturday, March 2

Tuesday, February 13 at 6:30 p.m. – Marc and Billi Zielinski, Turkmenistan 2000-2001
Billi and Marc Zielinski served in the Peace Corps from 2000 to 2001 in Turkmenistan, Central Asia. They were both Business Volunteers. Marc worked with agricultural cooperatives and Billi with entrepreneurs. They learned Turkmen and Russian and outside of their main projects, they also taught English and were camp instructors. Their tour was cut short after 9/11. After living in Washington, DC and St. Paul, MN, they returned to the Red River Valley. Marc has worked the last 20 years for DC-based American Councils as a Program Manager and Billi is the President and CEO of Make-A-Wish North Dakota. They have two children and live in Moorhead, MN.

Tuesday, February 20 at 6:30 p.m.- Terry Luschen, Cameroon 1995-1997
Terry Luschen served in the Peace Corps from 1995 – 1997 in Cameroon, Africa. While there he served as a Math and Computer teacher in a Technical School in Kumba in the Southwest province. While in Cameroon he learned to speak some basic French and Pidgin. Terry enjoyed traveling around Cameroon, doing a summer trip over to Kenya/Tanzania and even participating in the Mount Cameroon annual race. After the Peace Corps Terry has been in the software development industry and currently works for Perficient in Fargo doing Salesforce implementations. Terry also has coached football in the Fargo/Moorhead area at Oak Grove High school and Concordia College. Terry lives with his wife, Tifani and three children near Glyndon, MN.

Tuesday, February 27 at 6:30 p.m. – Dr. Anne Walker, Marshall Islands 1987-1989
Anne Walker served as a health educator in the Peace Corps in the tiny Pacific nation of the Marshall Islands. While there she was asked to teach an English class which began her 36-year career in teaching and improving education for culturally and linguistically diverse students. She has worked as an English Learner teacher, professor, international teacher trainer and college dean. She is currently a Professor of Education at Concordia College. She lives in Moorhead with her husband, loves to spend time with her three young adult children and is an avid gardener.