GHS grad sets off for Peace Corps teaching

A Gaylord High School graduate left the country Wednesday for a new adventure in Central Africa, where she is starting her Peace Corps training.

Avery Springborn embarked on her journey to teach English in Cameroon for a 27-month Peace Corps service.

“This is a big undertaking for me. This is the first time I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone like this,” Springborn said. “I have been really blessed — so, I see it as my responsibility to help use what I have learned and use it to help other people.”

She said the first order of business is 10 weeks of training with other teachers in the city of Babadjou, where she will learn about the languages, region and culture while living with a host family.

“Toward the end of training, they give you your assignment for the village or the town that you’re going to be living and working in,” Springborn said. “So, I won’t really know what kind of community I’m going into until toward the end of my training.”

Lucky for Springborn, she befriended a Peace Corps volunteer just finishing his service in Cameroon before she left and she learned more about what to expect.

After training, Springborn would live on her own with a monthly stipend and would be teaching sixth- through eighth-grade age students and working on projects.

The linguistics major is also a French speaking, English as a Second Language (ESL) certified Oakland University graduate.

“I’m sure it’s going to be very different from the traditional textbook French that I’ve learned,” Springborn said.

She said while some Cameroon residents speak English or French, the country has more than 200 languages and often uses blended languages known as pidgin languages.

Springborn said the Peace Corps has strong community ties where volunteers work with community members toward a goal and this is part of the reason she chose the organization.

“I’m in education, but there’s agribusiness volunteers, people who help with farming and helping community members run their own businesses, there’s medical volunteers — so they (the Peace Corps) really are trying to aid long-term development,” she said.

Through college, Springborn was a server and said though the experience was helpful in shaping her attitude, she’s excited to not wait tables for a few years.

“I was pretty shy when I first got into college, but after I started serving you learn pretty quickly you can’t be shy,” she said. “I think if I hadn’t done that, I probably wouldn’t have been able to do this and feel comfortable going to a whole new country.”

Springborn said Peace Corps volunteers have the option to extend their service past the 27 months and she said she’ll decide later in her service if she wants to extend her experience.