If Navaeh Banks ’24 never stepped out of her comfort zone, she would not be where she is today, about to embark on a journey of a lifetime.
Banks was recently accepted into the Peace Corps and will be traveling to Peru in the upcoming spring of 2025. However, when she first came to the College of Charleston, that wasn’t her plan. Banks had no idea that community and service would be something that she would want to pursue. As a freshman, she was comfortable being close to home and having a stable routine. It wasn’t until she decided to travel to Ghana for Spring Break with Dr. James Malm, Ph.D. that she uncovered a passion for advocacy.
Banks found out about the Spring Break trip to Ghana while in Dr. Rene Mueller, Ph.D.’s international marketing class. Banks originally signed up for Dr. Mueller’s Spring Break trip to Israel, but the trip was cancelled due to uprising conflict in Israel. Luckily, there were a few spots left for Dr. Malm’s Spring Break trip to Ghana, so she decided to travel to pack her bags and travel to Africa with seven other CofC students.
While in Ghana, students learn about the country’s rich history and see first-hand how social entrepreneurship and micro financing can empower and change communities. The purpose of the trip is to ultimately help alleviate poverty in unrepresented communities. Students have the opportunity to travel to Ghana’s capital Accra, the Old Akrade, Cape Coast and the Volta Lake. Students work with a local non-profit on service-learning projects.
Banks describes her time at Ghana as something that she will never forget, and encourages every student to do it, or at least enroll in a study abroad experience. While in Ghana, Banks had the ability to converse with people from all backgrounds and lifestyles. She created life-long connections, inspiring her to engage in communities of her own. She learned how to adapt to new changes and how to form new communities with the people around her.
She reflects on her time in Ghana, making note of the strong sense of community and desire for learning.
“Seeing this strong sense of resilience while participating in an eye-opening cultural exchange made me realize the importance of advocating for community change. I was exactly where I was meant to be in Ghana, and it drastically shaped my new career path” she shares.
She praises the professors that led the experience. “Dr. James Malm and Dr. Rene Mueller from the School of Business have both supported and pushed me toward my desire to advocate. The two of them dedicate a large portion of their life’s work to their non-profit The Nuna Project, and because of them, seven other students and I were able to experience the most amazing trip in Ghana.”
Deeply moved by the experience, Banks decided to pursue a unique path post-graduation, by joining the Peace Corps. This was no easy decision for Banks. Prospects must provide references, show proof of foreign language skills, prepare interview answers ahead of time and have a strong resume. Intimidated by the application, Banks turned to former students who joined the Peace Corps and professors who supported her decision.
“I connected with four different individuals from the School of Business, both students and faculty, who served in the Peace Corps, and they provided me with an abundance of stories and resources from their time in the Peace Corps. Ultimately, they encouraged me to apply and honestly addressed any fears or concerns I had about the process, which took away any uncertainty I previously had.”
The interview was not a walk in the park. Banks couldn’t gage how well she was doing since the interview was scripted by a recruiter and did not follow a conversational outline. Once the interview concluded, the recruiter informed Banks that she would hear back from the organization between a few days to a few months. Banks received an offer letter 2 days later.
Banks has been placed in Peru and will be working in the economic development sector.
The specific focus in this sector is personal money management, entrepreneurship, and women’s economic development. She will be collaborating with school principals and teachers to equip the youth with financial skills. She will also be working with grassroot leaders to enhance financial literacy. Finally, she will work closely with community members to enhance women empowerment.
To prepare for this life-altering change, Banks is touching up on her Spanish, soaking in her time at home, and researching anything and everything about Peru. Although she once was content with being comfortable, Banks has discovered that change makes life exciting and is looking forward to helping others along the way.
“I’m most excited to interact with my new community and make life-long relationships with my host family, other volunteers, and different community members. I’m extremely excited not only learn about but to fully integrate myself into a new culture. I also am looking forward to my personal growth by stepping out of my comfort zone. This will greatly shape my perspective and test my abilities.”
Her best advice for students lost in the prospects of their future? She says:
“Just go through it. In the beginning of my college career, I was not as accepting to change as I am now.”
Because of her experience in Ghana, she welcomes change with open arms and is now a driving force for advocacy.
