Bethany alumna Stephanie Ranthum is currently with the Peace Corps in Benin, West Africa.

2010 Bethany graduate Stephanie Ranthum was chosen as the history department’s outstanding student of the year and was the winner of the BLC Undergraduate Research Conference. After taking advantage of several international travel opportunities, Stephanie is now with the Peace Corps in Benin, West Africa.

What was the best thing about Bethany?
I loved everything about being a Bethany student. The religious atmosphere was always extremely important to me, but the academic environment was also fascinating and challenging. I fell in love with history, art, cultural anthropology, literature, and philosophy while I was there. Professors and students at Bethany were and are still my best friends, and the extracurricular activities were fun and exciting.

How did your Bethany experience shape you?
It was during my cultural anthropology class that I fell in love with the idea of living in a different culture and studying it. I had traveled out of the country before college, but almost all of my passion for history and culture studies has come from traveling with Bethany. That was when I discovered what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

Tell us about your work with the Peace Corps.
First and foremost I am an English teacher, though everything I do in Benin is in French. I have given presentations on studying strategies, HIV/AIDS, STDs, malaria, diversity, and gender equality. I am also the coach of a girls softball team and an instructor at the girls and boys camps that were created to inform the youth about health issues, equality, the importance of education, and possible career paths. It is also an ongoing process to become well integrated into the community. While we aim to help the villagers understand American culture, it is also one of my personal goals to understand the life of someone living in Benin.