La Conner Weekly News - Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper

Nicole Henriksen goes great distances to help others.

Consider that the 2016 La Conner High alum spent part of last summer in Uganda as a health care volunteer and will return to Africa in June for a two-year Peace Corps assignment in Malawi.

And she has done so while staying on schedule to graduate from Washington State University.

Henriksen leaves for southeastern Africa in June, shortly after receiving a bachelor’s degree in psychology during spring commencement exercises in Pullman.

At one point, the former LCHS student-athlete and campus leader planned to major in neuroscience. She ended up switching to psychology with a minor in Spanish, owing to her interest in social work and travel.

Prior to helping with HIV education and prevention efforts in Uganda, Henriksen had studied in Spain and visited Morocco.

“I’m happy with my choice,” Henriksen told the Weekly News, “because my background in psychology can help me go into international development.”

She eventually hopes to pursue a master’s degree in that field.

But first things first. Her Peace Corps duties are now at the forefront.

Henriksen wants to build upon her Ugandan experience to make an impact in Malawi, a landlocked nation defined by its famed highlands, the Great Rift Valley, and the immense lake that bears the nation’s name.

She will teach English in Malawi into 2022. For Henriksen, it’s something of a dream come true.

“Ever since high school,” she said, “I’ve always wanted to join the Peace Corps.”

Back then, as she held student offices and played volleyball alongside twin sister Heather – whose college and career plan took her to New York City – Henriksen was already eyeing a life of meaningful and far-reaching service.

“I’ve always loved traveling and meeting people from different parts of the world and volunteering,” she said.

Going to Uganda last year proved an ideal first step.

“I thought the HIV program seemed like a good program since there are people who do not know their status and there is free medication available at local clinics,” said Henriksen. “I’m happy this experience worked out because it showed me this is what I want to spend my life doing. I loved learning about and traveling to different parts of Uganda and doing work that was improving individual and community health.”

Henriksen gained a great appreciation for the beauty of both Uganda’s people and landscape.

“I got to know the people very well and gained a better understanding of their culture, which was different than what I expected,” she said. “Uganda was very lush and green, it was extremely safe and there were a lot of developed areas similar to here.”

On the other hand, amid happiness Ugandans exuded at life’s simple joys, Henriksen also saw much evidence of poverty.

“It definitely made me appreciate all the opportunities I have access to that a lot of people in Uganda do not,” she said.

So much so that she wasted no time filing the necessary paperwork – a resume, mission statement, letters of recommendation and detailed health questionnaire – for Peace Corps review.

Then came a Skype interview, after which Henriksen anticipated a nerve-wracking waiting period.

Instead, she was approved for service the following day. Being assigned to teach in Malawi made her Peace Corps acceptance all the better.

“After my experience in Uganda,” said Henriksen, “I was excited to be placed in Malawi, which isn’t that far from there. I am also very passionate about teaching, which is what I will mainly be doing there.”

She envisions taking on some side projects as well. That list includes launching a women’s empowerment group and after-school extra-curricular activities such as a reading club or sports team.

Nor does it stop there.

“Malawi,” she noted, “also has one of the higher HIV rates in the world and given my previous experience in Uganda, I want to help with HIV education and testing.”

Henriksen hopes to continue making a world of difference long after completing her Peace Corps service.

Her long-range goal is to complete graduate school and then work for global organizations that respond to emergencies or focus on lending expertise to developing nations.

She encourages others to also consider serving abroad.

“I think everyone at some point in their lives should travel to another part of the world and volunteer for a reputable organization doing something they’re passionate about,” she said. “My experience has given me a new outlook on my life and has given me new friends in Uganda who I still keep in contact with. Learning about a different culture is so valuable because it gives you a different perspective on your life and of that country.

“The people,” she explained, “will teach you a lot of things that you will take home with you.”