Jinnia Nusrat, 23, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, has been accepted into the Peace Corps and will depart for Albania on Jan. 17, 2020, to begin training as a health education volunteer.

 
“My goals were always about having meaningful and fulfilling life experiences,” said Nusrat. “Life is more than about me; it's about what I do for others and the positive impact that I make in the world. Through Peace Corps, my desire to help others will extend outside of the U.S., and I cannot be anymore delighted to have this opportunity.”
 
Nusrat is the daughter of Zainal Abedin and Shahanara Begum of Cherry Hill and a graduate of Cherry Hill High School West. She attended Rutgers University–Newark, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in political science in January 2018. Prior to joining the Peace Corps, she served as a peer advisor at Rutgers–Newark and worked as a sustainability support specialist for the City of Newark, Office of Sustainability with AmeriCorps Vista, and as research associate for the Center for Innovation in Mental Health–CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Policy. Nusrat also volunteered in many capacities, including with the Friendly Visitor Program, which matches volunteers with home-bound seniors to help minimize senior isolation.
 
During the first three months of her service, Nusrat will live with a host family in Albania to become fully immersed in the country’s language and culture. After acquiring the necessary skills to assist her community, Nusrat will be sworn into service and assigned to a community in Albania, where she will live and work for two years with the local people.
 
“I have a strong love for knowledge, especially when it's about cultures, languages, and communities,” said Nusrat. “Peace Corps will help me extend that knowledge even further and help me gain a better understanding of the world and of myself.”
 
Nusrat will work in cooperation with the local people and partner organizations on sustainable, community-based development projects that improve the lives of people in Albania and help Nusrat develop leadership, technical and cross-cultural skills that will give her a competitive edge when she returns home. Peace Corps volunteers return from service as global citizens well-positioned for professional opportunities in today’s global job market.
 
“I chose Albania. The more I learned about Albania—its traditions and its people—the more I wanted to become part of it. I am most excited about meeting my students, my host family and my community,” said Nusrat.
 
Nusrat joins the 164 New Jersey residents currently serving in the Peace Corps and more than 5,417 New Jersey residents who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961. The Peace Corps currently has a high need for applicants to fill volunteer programs departing in 2020. Interested Americans can apply online by Jan. 1 for hundreds of available openings in 31 countries worldwide. Volunteers receive a living stipend, extensive language and technical training, and financial benefits including student loan deferment and graduate school fellowships after service. To learn more about how to get involved with Peace Corps and the benefits of service, connect with a recruiter online or register to attend an event.
 
Persons interested in learning more about opportunities with the Peace Corps through Rutgers University, visit https://global.rutgers.edu/peace-corps.