Hamilton, N.J. Resident Begins Peace Corps Service in Albania

Elizabeth Chamberlain
Daniel Turkel, 23, of Hamilton, N.J., has been accepted into the Peace Corps and will depart for Albania March 18 to begin training as a health education volunteer. Turkel will live and work in a community to teach seminars on public health and expand health education.
“It is said in the Bible that one must love God and love their neighbor. John F. Kennedy’s speech at the University of Michigan inspired me to do the latter by means of the Peace Corps. Simply seeing those in need who are unable to help themselves influenced my decision to join the Peace Corps,” said Turkel, a former EMT and behavioral neuroscience researcher.
Turkel is the son of Jack and Jacqueline Turkel and a graduate of Nottingham High School in Hamilton, N.J. He then attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2012. 
During the first three months of his service, Turkel will live with a host family in Albania to become fully immersed in the country’s language and culture. After acquiring the language and cultural skills necessary to assist his community, Turkel will be sworn into service and be assigned to a community in Albania, where he will live and work for two years with the local people.
“I am excited for this new opportunity because it allows me to live in a completely new and different culture,” he continued.
Turkel joins the 214 New Jersey residents currently serving in the Peace Corps and more than 4,687 New Jersey residents who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961.
About Peace Corps/Albania: More than 480 Peace Corps volunteers have served in Albania since the program was established in 1992. Currently, 80 volunteers serve in Albania. Volunteers work in the areas of health, community development and English education. Volunteers are trained and work in Albanian. 
About the Peace Corps: Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps by executive order on March 1, 1961, more than 210,000 Americans have served in 139 host countries. Today, 8,073 volunteers are working with local communities in 76 host countries in agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health and youth in development. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment and the agency’s mission is to promote world peace and friendship and a better understanding between Americans and people of other countries. Visit www.peacecorps.gov for more information.