Roger DarrigrandDaily Egyptian
For many, joining the Peace Corps is an idea placed on a list of life goals but rarely pursued. For former SIU professor Hea-Ran Ashraf, the Peace Corps has just become a reality.
Last week Ashraf bade farewell to her friends at a going-away party at El Bajio Restaurant before leaving for Washington D.C. After receiving training there, she will be sent to Guadalajara, Mexico, where she will instruct local communities in food science, a topic she taught for 25 years at SIUC.
"I've always wanted to do this," Ashraf said with a smile on her face. "Now I'm ready to retire and utilize my professional training."
Ashraf will be leaving behind not only her friends and colleagues in the Food and Nutrition Department, but also her 23-year-old daughter, who was born during Ashraf's time in southern Illinois, her brother and mother who both followed Ashraf to the area after leaving their homeland of Korea. The comforts of the United States are something Ashraf does not see herself missing after growing up in Korea and later living in India, where she received her master's degree.
In speaking about her future, Ashraf had little apprehension about what was to come. With no plans beyond simply giving all that she can over the next two years with the Peace Corps, Ashraf seemed not to consider any other option other than rearranging her life in order to help others.
"I see life in three stages," Ashraf said. "In the beginning, we learn, the middle stage is the production stage, and in the third stage, we serve others."
