In the Peace Corps' earliest era, President John F. Kennedy said, "My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but together what we can do for the freedom of man."

When Kennedy uttered those words over 45 years ago, a seed of humanitarian effort was planted, and generations of bright, young college students have sprung forth.

Two OU alumni, Meredith Crow, 22, and Andrew Shi, 23, intend to follow the legacy.

Crow said she is scheduled to leave for Niger, Africa, on July 25 to work as a nurse's assistant in the maternal ward of a rural health clinic. Because Niger is one of world's poorest countries, she said her work will concentrate on the nutrition of the inhabitants.

Her daily tasks will include weight evaluations, nutrition consultations and agricultural volunteering, Crow said.

"In Niger, they grow few fruits and vegetables because in the Sahara Desert, grains are the only thing that grow with ease," she said.

Crow will spend two years isolated from the modern conveniences that most of her former peers take for granted, such as electricity and running water.

But Crow seems more immersed in the bright side.

"Peace Corps provides me with a water filter and gas stove as well as my own (mud) hut," Crow said.

But Crow's traveling pack won't be completely void of high tech toys.

"At least I'll have my iPod," she said.

Shi, on the other hand, will be heading to Africa on a much different mission.

He said he was originally supposed to leave for Guyana in South America on May 31, but because of the political climate and upcoming elections, there was a last minute location change.

He said he has been reassigned to Benin in West Africa to teach English.

Shi said his incentive to join the Peace Corps was an attempt to avoid the mundane post-college experience.

"I didn't want to sit in a classroom or work in a cubicle," he said. "I wanted to do something really worthwhile."

Shi said he will meet up with Crow and other Peace Corps members for a small, two-day orientation.

Once in Africa, he said he will spend the first three months doing in-country training to adjust to life in the region.

As the nephew of OU President David L. Boren and his wife Molly Shi Boren, Shi has some very big family shoes to fill. He said his uncle has been extremely positive about the experience.

"I've been talking to him the whole time," he said. "They've been supportive since the very beginning."

Before the two were accepted by the Peace Corps, each had to pass a stringent screening process.

Crow said in order to join, candidates must include three letters of recommendation, two essays, a background check, a medical screening, a personalized packet and an interview.

"It was a pretty lengthy interview. It lasted two hours," he said. "But they wanted to find a job that was just right for [me]."

Peace Corps volunteers sign up for remote tours in underdeveloped countries. They may service the population through education, HIV/AIDS programs, agriculture aid, business development, environmental preservation and youth organizations.

But Shi and Crow are just a small representation of the in-state effort to change the world.

Shannon Borders, public affairs specialist for the Peace Corps, said 25 OU alumni are currently serving in the program.

Regionally, OU is a forerunner in producing Peace Corps volunteers.

"Our region is Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas and Louisiana," Laura Booher, Peace Corps' regional recruiter said. "[OU is] in the top 10 in our region."

Presently, Crow is preparing for the tough times ahead, but she said she is truly fortunate.

"You get more from it than you give," Crow said. "You don't think you're going to go to a culture with people who have less than a sixth grade education and learn something, but you do."

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