Fondly recalling his Peace Corps experiences in Tunisia, Gov. Jim Doyle complimented returning Corps volunteers and congratulated newly nominated ones for their dedication and service at Agriculture Hall Friday.
After an introduction by UW-Madison Interim Provost Virginia Sapiro, the governor said he was delighted to speak about his experiences and personal insight gained through his Corps service. Remembering former President John F. Kennedy's call for service, Doyle said the former president's inspiration encouraged him to embark on the new service program back in 1967.
[It] went beyond the rhetoric of service,\ Doyle said. ""It gave people the opportunity to do the service that the president called on us to do.""
Accompanied by First Lady Jessica Doyle, both the governor and first lady said their time together in the Corps was a valuable learning experience for both of them.
""What we gained was so much more than we gave,"" Doyle said. ""There's no doubt the Peace Corps made an incredible difference in our lives.""
Joyce Aasen, a 1963 UW-Madison alumna and teacher at Madison Area Technical College, said Doyle's memories closely echoed her own experiences in Cameroon from 1963 to 1965.
She also spoke of Kennedy and said his call for service was an important impetus not only in U.S. history but in her personal life as well.
""Changes really occurred in me—spiritually and psychologically,"" Aasen said.
Melissa Kaltenbach, Travel Center director at Memorial Union, recounted her experiences serving in Guatemala from 1994 to 1997 and said she still has students come up and ask her about her Corps membership.
""Every year I have several students that come up to me seeking information on Peace Corps,"" she said. ""It's nice to give back and be a mentor to students on campus.""
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