Tielke Experiences Life in China
Many people dream of visiting another country and some dream
of living in one. Young Taylor Tielke experienced the dream of living
abroad when he resided in China for more than two years, recently
returning home in the summer of 2017.
The son of Chuck & Terri Tielke, Taylor and his two older brothers
grew up in Yankton. After he graduated from Yankton High School,
he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, History and
Global Studies from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. He
is currently attending the University of San Diego, California to obtain
his Master’s degree in International Affairs.
Considering the Options
During his junior/senior year at Concordia, Tielke contemplated his
future after college. He considered joining the workforce or applying to
work toward a PhD in Political Science. Deciding a good step for him
was to experience volunteering abroad, he applied for the Peace Corps.
Volunteering wasn’t new to the Eagle Scout. He volunteered often
with the Boy Scouts and was active in the community. He recalls a
previous soccer coach, Dr. Nancy Saunders, getting him involved
in volunteering. At a soccer practice when he was a pre-teen, Dr.
Saunders asked for volunteers to help play TOP Soccer (The Outreach
Program for Soccer) where youth soccer volunteers help children
with barriers play sports. That sparked him to volunteer and mentor
throughout his life.
Knowing he wanted to do something in International Affairs or
Political Science, he viewed the Peace Corps opportunity as a test of
whether he wanted to teach at the cultural or university level. He was
accepted into the Peace Corps and was selected to travel to China to be
an English teacher.
The ambitious young man explained the Peace Corps process to
me. After applying for the Peace Corps, participants are selected and
given an assignment that they can accept or reject. The average time
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