ADVISOR FRANK TATE

By: Frank Tate

It’s been a long time since I’ve last written to you all and a lot has happened since then. I’m back in the United States!  I finished up my Peace Corps service this past June and I’ve been working on readjusting to life back here at home.  I’m currently
staying in Massachusetts while I spend time with family and also, of
course, look for career opportunities.  It’s nice to be back, although
I do already miss life in Benin.

My Peace Corps service was great.  I would recommend it to anyone who
wants to be taken out of their comfort zone, go abroad to help other
communities in need, practice foreign language, or just see and
experience something different.  It’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime
opportunities and I’m really happy that I was fortunate enough to be
able to engage in it.  I was able to accomplish much more than I could
have ever really imagined.

During my time in Benin, I ended up managing 175+ middle school
students, planned and administered a wide variety of development
programming initiatives related to arts and culture, girls’
empowerment and scholarship, research skills, teacher training, grant
writing, community health/hygiene, American business entrepreneurship, and more.  I met lots of really great people.  I liked how the market/atmosphere was so ripe to explore and do so many things.  As a volunteer, anything seemed possible with the right amount of effort and support from local work partners.

What I really miss about Benin personally is the lifestyle and the
people.  I loved the open-air markets, the organic fruits and
vegetables, the low cost of living, recycling, my 3 dogs and my house,
and the overall relaxed way of life.  These things made my previous
life in New York City seem so intense, so focused on work, and so far
away.  I started to realize how we fail to actually enjoy the beauty
in life — which takes form in so many different ways – because in the
USA, we tend to be distracted by the noisiness of our economic,
political, and social systems.

I appreciate all of the positive feedback that I have received from
everyone on my list during my time in the Peace Corps.  Although my
e-mails will probably be fewer and fewer as time goes on, I would like
to stay in touch.  To me, the people that you come to know and
experience are one of the most important things in life.

As I said in the beginning of this letter, I’m also in the process of
looking for jobs and would welcome any leads or insight into any
opportunities that might be out there.  I’m open to going anywhere in
the United States (or the world!) now that I’m out of Peace Corps
service.  Other fields of expertise that interest me include (but are
not limited to): sales, business, non-profit, international
development, and the arts.  I enjoy exploring all that the world has
to offer.

Until next time,

Frank Tate

To learn more about Advisor Frank Tate, visit the FLOBEL Advisor Board web page.