ISSUED: 4 March 2026
MEDIA CONTACT: Hans Fogle
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — Shepherd University welcomed Returned Peace Corps Volunteers for a free public panel discussion on Tuesday, March 3 in the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education auditorium.
Held in celebration of the Peace Corps’ 65th anniversary, the panel featured four former volunteers who shared stories from their service abroad and discussed how those experiences shaped their careers and contributions to communities across the United States.
Panelist Meg Kinghorn, who served in Kiribati, now serves as president of the West Virginia Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and Friends. She spoke about her time in the Pacific and how international service continues to inform her leadership and advocacy work.
“I joined the Peace Corps to get travel out of my system,” said Kinghorn. “Instead, it led to a 40-year career in international development during which I worked in more than 75 countries and met all kinds of extraordinary people. It also led to a commitment to the strength and resilience of small rural communities, just like the ones here in West Virginia.”
Mary O’Hara, who served in Indonesia, discussed cultural immersion, community partnership, and how her Peace Corps experience influenced her professional path.
Married couple Mark Nachtrieb, who served in Nepal, and Rebecca Nachtrieb, who served in Sierra Leone, recounted how their respective experiences—across different cultures and continents—shaped their personal lives and continue to inform their professional commitments and global outlook.
“I joined the Peace Corps out of a sense of adventure and a desire to help others,” said Rebecca Nachtrieb. “I thought my experience would be contained within the two-year commitment I made. Instead, it led to changes in the direction my life took that I could not have imagined before.”
Dr. Amy DeWitt, professor of sociology and Peace Corps Prep coordinator at Shepherd University, moderated the discussion. DeWitt served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Poland in the 1990s.
“Peace Corps service is transformative—not only for the communities where volunteers serve, but also for the volunteers themselves and the communities they return to,” she said. “This panel was an opportunity to celebrate 65 years of global partnership and to reflect on how service abroad continues to strengthen the United States.”
Established in 1961, the Peace Corps sends American volunteers abroad to work in partnership with host communities on locally identified needs in education, health, agriculture, the environment, and community economic development. For 65 years, volunteers have promoted world peace and friendship by fostering mutual understanding between Americans and people around the globe.
The event highlighted Shepherd University’s commitment to global engagement and service through its Peace Corps Prep program, which prepares students for international service and globally focused careers.
For more information about Shepherd University’s Peace Corps Prep program, visit https://www.shepherd.edu/sae/peace-corps-prep-at-shepherd-university.
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