Peace Corps: Persona

by Chad Powell
For academic purposes only.

User: Paul Harris
-Engineering major
-Graduated from Michigan State University
-Looking to start his masters program
-Schools that offer Masters International and what they rank in education standards
-Interested in further his education in civic engineering
-Heard about programs in Africa, trying to find one that suites him
-Interested in places to visit, vacation, site-seeing
-Populations density
-Language barriers
-culture and beliefs present
-number of volunteers specific site is looking for

Goal:
-Finding volunteer opportunity that specializes in the Engineering field in Africa
-Finding masters programs in line with Peace Corps Volunteering that will not only help develop him as a person, but will also help develop his skills as an engineer.

Motivators:
-Resume builder/people skills
-Traveling
-Community Service
-Furthering education while helping
-Meeting new people
-Learn the fundamentals of engineering through the eyes of another country, and maybe that countries obstacles.

Problem Setting:
-Picking a school that offers a engineering volunteer program
-Passing GRE
-Too much information / unorganized
-Program needs ground points
-Cost of GRE test / studying supplies
-Finding a program that is at a university with a prestigious reputation
-These problems could stop someone from wanting to volunteer
-1000 other things that they could possibly be doing.
-Easier to look for jobs, other experience builders.
-Explain why this program is better then just going to a university
for two years.

Online Affordances:
-Cutting out needless information
-Layout is key and necessary for easy navigation
-Having videos of other engineer students who have went through the program (what they liked, didn't like, best school, etc)
-Maybe making a section of the website easily specific to a certain "type" of volunteer (ie. Engineering student/graduate)
-Making a map of locations & how to apply there (which locations
are best for engineering and what countries are most progressive
with engineering)
-Maybe a section is dedicated to majors & programs that would help that field of study (specific type of engineering that the student is focusing on, or even just options of all of them)