ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
Simon Pilecki, a graduate of Lynn English High School and Emmanuel College, packs for a two-year stint in the Peace Corps, where he will be stationed in Zambia.
BY GAYLA CAWLEY
LYNN — Simon Pilecki is turning his love of travel into a chance to give back in the Peace Corps.
Pilecki, 23, of Lynn, will be teaching English to students between fifth and ninth grade in Zambia, a landlocked country in South Africa.
“I don’t want to look down at my life in 20 years and regret not doing this,” Pilecki said.
While English is the country’s official language, it is not often the first language of Zambians. Bemba is the most widely spoken and the country’s citizens speak more than 72 languages.
Pilecki graduated from Lynn English High School in 2010 and Emmanuel College two years ago. He was a political science major with a focus in international relations. His double minor was in communications and religion.
He left his job as an administrative assistant with King’s Chapel, a historic church on the Freedom Trail in Boston, last week. He will fly from New York on June 6, take a 15-hour plane ride to South Africa the next day and then catch a two-hour flight to Zambia.
Once he arrives, Pilecki will receive three months of training and will teach for two years in a remote location. He’ll be in Zambia for 27 months and then has the option to extend for a year, but is unsure if he would. He is also also undecided on his career path.
“I definitely would like to work in the developing world, particularly promoting education, but I’m still not sure,” Pilecki said. “I’ll just see where I am in 27 months.”
To get selected, Pilecki was interviewed, went through a background check and received medical clearance before he could leave.
Pilecki is traveling to Zambia with 70 others, but will most likely be living on his own in a small house. To keep in touch back home, he’ll be using email, Facebook and blogging about his experiences.
He knows there won’t be any of the usual creature comforts, like electricity. But he’s not sure what else will greet him. He looks forward to bike riding and meeting new people.
Besides spending two semesters in India during college as part of a school group, Pilecki travels fairly regularly. He sees education as being the best factor in uplifting people economically.
“I like to travel a lot internationally,” Pilecki said. “I kind of like to break the mold.”
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley.