Sophie Wenzel Extended Tour to Work with People She Had "Lived with and Grown to Love"

Sophie Wenzel is a PHPS fellow, assigned to the State of Alaska Division of Public Health, where she is coordinating the statewide hair mercury biomonitoring program. She was in the Peace Corps in Paraguay from 1999-2002. "I had always loved travel and learning about new cultures, and I thought Peace Corps would be a great way to continue these interests while serving other people."

She worked as a rural health volunteer in the Chaco desert in Paraguay. "I worked with women, youth and children, promoting infant survival, such as breastfeeding, reproductive health, immunizations, proper nutrition, etc. Most of my work was accomplished doing home visits with women, and youth groups."

Wenzel decided to go into public health after she extended her service and stayed a third year as volunteer coordinator in the capital city of Asuncion. "I thought going into public health program management would allow me to help the people that I had worked and lived with and grown to love."

"My Peace Corps experience has taught me to never take myself too seriously, and that it´s always ok to laugh at myself," she says. "It has taught me to remember that we´re all different, have different ways of doing things or approaching problems, and that there is no one right way. I would highly encourage anyone who wants to join to look into it!"

Wenzel speaks French (native language) and also Spanish and Guarani (Indigenous language in Paraguay).