Meet CAPLA’s Paul D. Coverdell Fellow: Nick Ihley
Meet CAPLA’s Paul D. Coverdell Fellow: Nick Ihley!
Paul D. Coverdell Fellows are returned Peace Corps volunteers who receive financial assistance to pursue graduate degrees at universities across the country. In exchange, fellows complete internships in underserved American communities, applying the skills they learned abroad.
CAPLA has five Coverdell Fellows starting this fall:
- Yamilkal Hernandez Sanchez - 1st Year MSUP
- Lyndsey Shafiei - 1st Year M.Arch
- Tori Markle - 1st Year MLA
- Nick Ihley - 1st Year MLA
- Michael Geiger - 2nd Year MLA
We asked them about how this experience has shaped them, and how it led them from all corners of the globe to CAPLA.
What inspired you to join the Coverdell Fellows program?
An atypical path has led me to the Coverdell program. After a stint in the professional world, the fellowship represents an opportunity to reconnect with the values that defined my service and offer my skills to my new community in the Southwest.
Where did you do your Peace Corps work? And why?
Madagascar. At the time, I accepted a placement in French-speaking Sub-Saharan Africa. Little did I know, I would be heading to the eighth continent (Madagascar defies many conventions). I wanted to challenge myself, live simply and help others while doing it!
What did you find most valuable about your experience?
Peace Corps revealed a resilience and adaptability that I knew I had, all while showing me that we can learn so much from one another.
Why did you choose CAPLA to pursue a graduate degree?
CAPLA represents a slight professional pivot for me. Over the last three years, I have worked extensively on construction projects in the Southwest, and with CAPLA I am looking to transmute my field skills into the realms of planning and education.
What do you hope to accomplish after earning your graduate degree?
Ultimately, I am seeking to champion regenerative building practices, together with local innovators and in the classroom. I see myself as an educator, entrepreneur and guide.
How has your Peace Corps experience influenced your graduate studies and career goals?
My Peace Corps experience continues to inform every step I take; graduate studies represent a desire to gain further skills to steward this beautiful world.
