MACON – Mercer University senior Lane Benton was recently selected to serve in the Peace Corps in Botswana beginning in July.
Benton, from Athens, is a global health studies and international affairs double-major with a minor in statistics. She hopes to pursue a master’s degree in epidemiology upon returning from Botswana.
As life skills educator, she will work with youth and HIV/AIDS capacity building efforts at a Botswanan school.
“After spending three years studying life in other countries, I am excited for the experience the Peace Corps will offer me. I have been given the opportunity to learn another culture, another worldview and another lifestyle,” said Benton.
“As I hope to have a career as a global health professional in the future, it’s so important to be able to see the world not just through my own lens, but through that of others. Serving as a Peace Corps volunteer is the perfect post-graduation opportunity because it will give me the chance to put into practice what I have learned from Mercer while gaining experiences and memories which will shape my life forever. I’m honored to have been chosen by such a competitive program and overflowing with excitement about what’s to come.”
Benton is a Tift Scholar at Mercer and has served on the executive board of the Mercer Public Arts Coalition, as executive vice president of Alpha Delta Pi and as an associate justice of the Honor Council. This past December, she was recognized as the Honor Council’s Most Valuable Justice.
“Lane is very interested in building competence in the area of HIV/AIDS prevention and intervention. I am happy that she will spend the next couple of years working in this field of interest,” said Dr. Chinekwu Obidoa, assistant professor of global health. “Her experience will be instrumental in helping to expose her to the many facets of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Botswana. The knowledge and skills she will acquire will serve in preparing her for her career goals.”
The Peace Corps, established by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, is a volunteer program administered by the U.S. government to send the best and brightest Americans abroad to tackle the most pressing needs of people around the world. To date, more than 225,000 Americans have served in 141 countries. For more information, visit www.peacecorps.gov.
