Alex Przedpelski decided to take a year off and travel the world before starting as a freshman at Furman last fall. One of the stops along his route was the city of El Porvenir in northern Peru. He spent two months teaching English and physical education classes at a humble community school run mainly by international volunteers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was one of the greatest experiences I\u2019ve ever had,\u201d said Przedpelski, who is from Summit, N.J. \u201cIt definitely changed me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Przedpelski was one of eight freshmen to share research and, in some cases, personal experiences with volunteer and charitable organizations as part of Furman ENGAGED! April 12, when the university celebrated the wide variety of undergraduate research, scholarship and creativity of its students.\u00a0The session, called \u201cAdopt an Aid Agency,\u201d allowed freshmen to make a pitch to encourage economics professor Nathan Cook to donate to their favorite charities.<\/p>\n
The presentations were part of a first-year writing seminar called \u201cCan the West Save the Rest?\u201d As they studied global poverty, students discussed how to use data and evidence to support their writing skills and show that their charity is successfully addressing its goals. Cook pledged to make a donation to one or more charities at the end of the course.<\/p>\n
He\u2019ll have lots of options, thanks to the class. He can plant a tree to help the environment in China, buy a mosquito net to help prevent the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses in Africa, or provide food, healthcare and education for a child in Haiti.<\/p>\n
Hyeri Song of Nairobi, Kenya, said she was impressed by GiveDirectly, a cash transfer program used in her homeland to provide money directly, via cellphone, to needy families. The program enables families to purchase livestock, expand a business, or upgrade their home\u2019s thatched roof to a metal one. \u201cIt\u2019s something that\u2019s efficient, relatable and very creative,\u201d Song said.<\/p>\n
In addition to providing education programs for more than 350 children each year, Przedpelski\u2019s non-profit organization, Supporting Kids in Peru, offers parenting workshops, microfinance loans and group business training. \u201cThere\u2019s just so much need,\u201d Przedpelski said. \u201cIt\u2019s been very eye-opening.\u201d<\/p>\n
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