ELMP Ed.D. Alumnus Begins Peace Corps Service in Ghana

James Weidenborner Ed.D. ‘18, a graduate of Seton Hall University’s Ed.D. in PreK-12 Education Leadership, Management and Policy program, has been accepted into the Peace Corps and will begin his service as a Deaf education volunteer in Ghana. He will depart on January 11 for training ahead of his two-year assignment, where he will work with local educators to build students’ literacy, critical-thinking skills and academic success.

A longtime educator from West Orange, New Jersey, Weidenborner taught in the township’s public schools for 25 years. He said the opportunity fulfills a personal goal and offers a meaningful way to serve. “It has been a life goal to live in Africa and spend time with people,” he said. “I believe I will learn about the world in a truly meaningful way.”

Weidenborner credited his doctoral experience at Seton Hall with preparing him for large-scale service and leadership. “Obtaining a doctorate is an empowering achievement,” he said. “There were many challenges in the process, but the professors in my program made sure their students understood that the new letters after our names would be evidence that we were capable of taking on bigger and better challenges.” He added that seeing faculty carry out research for the public good helped reinforce his own desire to serve. “My professors were great examples of people who believe in doing good, and I hope they can see my joining the Peace Corps as an example of the positive influence they’ve had on one of their students.”

He also noted that his training helped him make the careful decision to retire slightly early after 25 years of service. “Retiring early is not something one should do without all the data in front of them,” he said. “Seton Hall certainly helped me be as informed as possible.”

Weidenborner said several Seton Hall professors shaped his development, particularly the late Chuck Achilles, whose teaching and mentorship left a lasting imprint. “I took every course he taught as well as an independent study with him,” he said. “I have internalized an uncountable amount of facts and truths about the world from him. Time spent with him made people smarter.” He recalled a moment during one of their independent studies when Achilles played a recording of Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech “The Three Evils of Society” and walked him through its deeper meaning. Weidenborner later shared the speech with his own students for years, at both the elementary and high school levels.

He also expressed gratitude for his dissertation advisor, Christopher Tienken, Ed.D., whom he described as intelligent and conscientious. Tienken said Weidenborner’s strengths make him well-suited for Peace Corps service. “James consistently demonstrated exceptional critical thinking and problem-solving abilities when navigating complex, real-world challenges requiring both sensitivity and sound judgment,” he said. “He leads by listening first, elevating the voices of others and taking initiative not for personal recognition but to strengthen the community around him.”

Weidenborner encourages students and early-career professionals to consider opportunities like the Peace Corps, noting their long-term personal and professional value. “The Peace Corps can be a lifelong resource for humanitarian careers of many types,” he said. “Taking on endeavors where one can help others does the soul good, and I believe it is possible to get as much or even more out of an experience like Peace Corps service.”

Looking ahead, he plans to remain open to where the experience leads. “For me, the Peace Corps is part of the journey, and I plan to stay in the moment appreciating the opportunity I have been given to broaden my horizons in ways I do not know of yet.”

Categories: Alumni, Faith and Service, Nation and World