Bios of Previous Fellows

Jessica Bodiford completed her Peace Corps Togo service in 2005. She spent two years educating the Amlamé community about gender equality, the importance of sending girls to school, and HIV/AIDS awareness. But, as every Peace Corps Volunteer, Jessica received more than she gave and gained a new perspective on life. She hopes to use her Coles College of Business MBA to provide support to African arts, NGOs, or nonprofit organizations. Currently, Jessica works at Girls Scouts of Northwest Georgia and is the drama team leader at Shaw Temple AME Zion Church.

Sherri Shropshire completed Peace Corps Guatemala service in 1994. She was in the Agricultural Diversification Program in Guatemala working with men, women, and children’s programs. In addition to vegetable gardens and greenhouse projects, she worked with communities in reforestation and building efficient wood burning stoves. Sherri has entered the Career Growth MBA program with hopes of providing small business support in the local community. Sherri currently works part time as an educational consultant with Usborne Books.

Kendrall Masten completed his Peace Corps Zambia service in 2007.  He was involved with the Rural Aquaculture Promotion Project in collaboration with the Zambian Department of Fisheries.  Kendrall worked with rural communities by assisting families in building and managing their own integrated aquaculture systems, operating the systems as small business enterprises, and developing fish farmer associations.  In addition, he utilized the interrelationship among Peace Corps, USAID, and the PEPFAR initiative to implement programs combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic spreading in Zambia.  Kendrall has entered the Coles College of Business M.B.A. program with the goal of creating sustainable business ventures that positively impact lives domestically and abroad. 

Gil Eisner Mr. Gil Eisner successfully served in the Peace Corps Nicaragua for two years, completing his term in 2005. While in Nicaragua, Gil was based in the quaint town of La Paz Centro where he educated young adults in local secondary schools on general business principles, conducted a hands-on entrepreneurial business management course, and consulted local small businesses on improving administrative practices. The centerpiece of Gil's work in Nicaragua was the founding, in cooperation with Local counterparts, of a national artisan market which fostered an environment for La Paz Centro's famed yet humble ceramic artisans to vend their pottery and ceramic products to domestic and international tourists. This artisan market, named Esperanza de Paz or Hope of Peace, is flourishing and is currently in the process of being expanded. At the conclusion of his Peace Corps tour, Gil returned to Atlanta, GA in order to pursue his passion for real estate. After obtaining his real estate license, he worked in Newmark Knight Frank's commercial real estate division as tenant representative (TR). In the TR capacity, Gil advised an array of clients on corporate real estate requirements and negotiated financial structured lease transactions. Gil plans to use his Coles College of Business MBA to further build his administrative acumen and pursue an international career in the ever expanding global business environment.

Rikki George volunteered for the Peace Corps in Azerbaijan and completed her service in September of 2008.  As part of the Community Economic Development (CED) program, she was assigned to a local NGO to assist in the administration of business.  She was sent to Agro Information Centre (AIM), an organization that trains local farmers to become extension agents that teach villagers new farming techniques.  There she taught the AIM trainers presentation skills, computer skills, research skills, finance and budgeting, and how to run meetings.  Rikki helped design surveys and tests for extension agents, compile data and create reports, and built a database of articles from AIM’s monthly publication.  She also helped a group of 12 AIM extension agents create a business plan that helped them to win several agricultural bids and support their own agricultural center.  Rikki plans to work in development overseas again after attaining her master’s of accounting from KSU.

Zachary Smith completed his Peace Corps service in Loja, Ecuador in September of 2007.  While serving as a Business Advisor to the Municipality of Loja, Zachary was in charge of recovering a defunct community banking program.  He worked with over 20 community banks as well as developed a small business education program for loan recipients.  He also became involved in promoting large-scale organic agriculture.  After his Peace Corps service, Zachary went to Guatemala to be a consultant for a small NGO started by Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.  In 2009, Zachary returned to Ecuador to start up that NGO in Ecuador.  Zachary plans on using his experiences in the Coles College of Business MBA program to prepare him for a career in promoting entrepreneurship both in the United States and abroad. 

Pastoral Maya