Brett Brawerman, Elon ’12, leads practice for a boys’ basketball team as part of his Peace Corps volunteer experience in the village of Lapusna, Moldova. A phrase on the wall of the gymnasium translates to, “A sound mind, gives a sound body.” Brawerman, who tabled his pursuit of becoming a personal trainer to serve in the Peace Corps, instills SigEp’s Balanced Man Ideal among the village boys.

Merely two weeks after graduating, Brawerman boarded a plane to Moldova. “I was about to graduate and wasn’t ready to embark on a resolute routine,” he said. “I knew I could continue to improve personally and professionally. The Peace Corps allows me to see the world, expand my knowledge through another culture and language, and help brighten the worlds of others.”

Brawerman faced many obstacles upon his arrival—a language barrier, no indoor plumbing, lack of privacy, no gym facilities, and living amidst poverty to name a few—but those became just another part of the culture, not obstacles. “What really dug at me was the cemented resistance to any kind of change,” he said.

It was that resistance that inspired Brawerman to instill the Sound Mind and Sound Body principles in his village. Once he overcame the lack of privacy or modern facilities, Brawerman found time to complete his workouts, read and write. Eventually, teenagers from his village began to join him on runs through the wine fields and during stops in the middle of nowhere to read or take notes in his journal.

In his second year of service, Brawerman started a boys’ basketball team and an “Emerging Leaders Program.” He used recruiting techniques learned in SigEp to engage participants in these programs. The systematic approach used on the standards board served as a model to teach self-reliance and leadership skills that would help these young people take charge of their lives and communities. He taught his team to fundraise, which helped them earn enough money to purchase uniforms, while also teaching the value of collaboration. Many girls who participated in the leadership program will be first in their families to attend college. To top it all off, the basketball team holds a 22-1 record.

For Brawerman, life is not about luxury or things, but rather experiences and memories. “My brothers at Elon exemplified that,” he said. “I always promised myself it wouldn’t matter where I live or what title I have, as long as I could sincerely say ‘I love my job.’”

Brawerman attributes much of his progress in the Peace Corps to his SigEp experience. “When you are surrounded by excellence, you strive to advance in each aspect of life,” he said. “Fortunately, I had that in my brotherhood, and I have that now with my Peace Corps family.”