St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM) will bring together returned Peace Corps Volunteers and recent SMCM graduates preparing for Peace Corps service around the world for the next SMCM Community Hour on Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 5:30–6:30 p.m. in Daugherty-Palmer Commons. The event is free and open to the public.
The conversation, hosted by the Office of Career Development and Community Engagement, will explore what Peace Corps service can teach us about building and sustaining community across cultures, borders and lived experiences. Moderated by Bill Roberts, professor of anthropology and Peace Corps alumnus, participants will share perspectives from completed service as well as the experiences and expectations of recent graduates preparing to work in communities around the world.
Recent SMCM graduates invited to participate include:
- Ariana Lecouras ’25, who will serve in Paraguay as a Community Environmental Promoter;
- Michael Wade ’25, who plans to serve in Nepal in the Community Forestry Program;
- Emma Shepard ’26, who will serve in Namibia as a Health Promoter, focusing on HIV/AIDS prevention and training;
- Allison Thress ’26, who will serve in The Gambia as a Primary Education Teacher Trainer, working alongside local teachers to refine teaching strategies; and
- Cho-Cho Williams ’26, who will serve in Kosovo as a Community Development Facilitator.
The program is the second SMCM Community Hour, a recurring opportunity for members of the College and broader community to come together around ideas and experiences connected to SMCM’s 2026–27 Essential Question, “What is community?”
SMCM Community Hour is part of the St. Mary’s Athenaeum, an institutional platform for intellectual engagement, scholarship and public dialogue. Through programs including Community Hour and the President’s Colloquium Series, the Athenaeum creates opportunities to bring different perspectives into conversation with the College and surrounding community.
