THE SHELF
EYE-OPENING A Peace Corps volunteer after graduation , Cherie Kephart ' 93 lived with a family in a remote village . in Zambia .
REACHING NEW HEIGHTS
World travels lead to the world inside
BY CHERIE KEPHART ’ 93
Cherie Kephart ’ 93 is a writer , editor and poet . Her memoir , A Few Minor Adjustments , is the winner of a 2017 San Diego Book Award and was featured in the San Diego Annual Memoir Showcase and performed onstage at the Horton Grand Theater . She holds an MA in medical and cultural anthropology from the University of Auckland , New Zealand , and a BA in communications from UC San Diego . Learn more at : CherieKephart . com
Imagine growing up in Venice , California , in the 1970s , roller skating down the boardwalk at Muscle Beach chewing purple Bubble Yum , wearing leg warmers , Dolphin shorts , a rainbow tie-dyed tank top , and a bright yellow Walkman blasting Falco ’ s “ Rock Me Amadeus .” That was me . I thought I was worldly .
Somehow in my naiveté I knew even the diversity of L . A . didn ’ t represent the world . I stumbled upon a quote from the French novelist Marcel Proust : “ The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new lands , but in seeing with new eyes .” Eighteen and idealistic , I didn ’ t quite comprehend the significance of Proust ’ s words , but it was as if someone handed me a ladder to the moon and said , “ Go .”
Longing to voyage outside the city of Angels , I took my first step up the ladder : college . And one university stood out above the rest : UCSD . The appeal wasn ’ t the picturesque location of craggy cliffs and Torrey pines , the talking trees or the architectural delight of the library . I was drawn to the newest college , Fifth College , now named for Eleanor Roosevelt . The curriculum was geared toward
better understanding the world — a two-year course , Making of the Modern World , language requirements and the opportunity to study abroad . I only had one question : Where do I sign ?
Up the ladder I went .
My four years at UCSD , with my junior year studying in England , cemented my affinity for global culture . At the end of my senior year , a Peace Corps recruiter came to campus . “ The toughest job you ’ ll ever love ,” the large banner read . “ Live abroad , help people , learn a new language ,” the recruiter announced .
After graduation and spending the summer traveling across Europe , I returned to an acceptance letter to serve as a volunteer in Zambia in the Peace Corps . I gripped the ladder and sprinted to the next height .
To sustain me for the two-year service , I carried only two duffel bags and a quote from the cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead : “ Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful , committed citizens can change the world ; indeed , itʼs the only thing that ever has .” I wanted to be a part of that change .
46 TRITON | WINTER 2018