Josh Wyckstandt loves to volunteer.
In fact, the 2001 Oxford High School graduate returned from a mission trip to Mexico just two weeks ago.
This past Friday, he took off again, only this time for Asia with the hope of making even more of a difference in the world.
The 22-year-old University of Michigan graduate said he decided to volunteer for the New Choice Mongolian Volunteer Organization (New Choice) because he and his friend had been searching on the internet for another program to volunteer for.
‘We were looking for programs people were saying good things about and that people had confidence in,? he said.
According to their website, New Choice was founded in 2004 and has been running its volunteer programs in Monogolia for community support and cultural exchanges. New Choice’s focus is to also make contacts with a variety of international organizations in order to recruit volunteers to utilize young people’s efforts and contributions for the well being of society and community.
Including Wyckstandt, there will be four students from U of M and one student from the University of Oklahoma traveling to Asia in his group. He has never been to Asia before and said he’s been a little too excited about traveling in the past week.
‘I woke up on Tuesday at three in the morning freaking out saying ‘Where am I?? Am I in China??,? he said laughing.
Wyckstandt will be visiting China for the first three weeks of his trip; visiting cities like Shanghai and Beijing. Then, he will move on to Mongolia for the next six weeks. When his volunteer work is over, Wyckstandt will be staying in China for one extra week before he returns home.
The first two weeks of his stay in Mongolia will be spent in a language and cultural program. The program is an intensive series of language classes, cultural visits and countryside exploration. After the first week of training in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, volunteers will be transferred to the small village of Aimag, where nomadic life is still prominent.
After the training weeks are over, Wyckstandt will be teaching English at an orphanage to kids ages 13 to 18. He will work about three to four hours a day for five days a week.
Although Wyckstandt said he hasn’t had any prior expectations of the country, he does hope to learn more about the culture and society of Mongolia.
‘One thing I saw in Mexico is that there is definitely a difference in living standards and how their time is spent,? he said. ‘I’m really hoping to see what the majority of their time is spent on–whether it’s with work or with their family.?
Wyckstandt, who works as an operating room attendant at Royal Oak Beaumont Hospital, hopes to experience different local hospitals in Mongolia as well.
‘I’d love to compare the different forms of medicine,? he said.
He is also hoping to make a lot of friends and people he can keep in touch with.
Wyckstandt encourages anyone wanting to volunteer to be extremely well-planned and to not leave anything to the last minute. But most importantly, be daring.
‘This is something that I’m really comfortable with, but there are a lot of risks,? he said. ‘Always be adventurous, but stay within certain limits.?
For more information of the New Choice volunteer program, visit www.volunteer.org.mn.