At age 15, Benjamin Woroch took a family trip to Washington, D.C., where he hopped on the Metro alone and effortlessly mastered the transit system.
Woroch, now 24, has always loved experiencing new places and situations, as well as different cultures, according to his mom, Ruth Woroch, of Park Ridge. So it didn’t surprise his parents that he decided to join the Peace Corps after he graduated from Carthage College in May. He is one of 312 Peace Corps volunteers from Illinois who are currently in service, according to a spokesperson for the agency.
“It is a great honor and I’m really proud of him,” Ruth said.
Ben Woroch, who went to Maine South High School, left for Cambodia on July 12 and is stationed with a host family about two hours south of Phnom Penh, according to Ruth. He will spend the next few weeks learning the language, Khmer, and preparing to teach English at his final post in another area of Cambodia. He will stay there with another host family.
All told, Woroch, of Park Ridge, will be gone for 27 months, according to Ruth.
“To be honest, it hasn’t really sunk in yet that he’ll be gone for that long,” said Ruth, who hopes to visit in January.
Replying to questions from Cambodia via email, Ben Woroch said that he decided to join the Peace Corps because he loves helping people.
“I believe that the Peace Corps is one of the places that do much good in the world,” wrote Ben, who majored in political science.
Before moving to Cambodia, Ben said he had traveled to more than 30 states and several countries, including the Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Monaco, the Netherlands, St. Martin, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland and Wales.
“In short, one of my greatest passions is traveling,” he wrote.
When he applied to the Peace Corps, Ben stated that he was willing to serve wherever the agency needed him. This is his first time in Cambodia, where he is one of 51 volunteers, according to the Peace Corps website.
As a volunteer, he trains from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, including up to four hours of lessons in Khmer, which is the hardest part. He said he bikes everywhere, and particularly misses his family and friends back home, Western-style toilets, toilet paper, and easy access to good wi-fi.
One of the best parts so far, he said, is his host family, composed of a couple in their 80s, their daughter and twin sons.
“They are great to me, and they are great cooks,” Ben wrote.
So far, he said, was surprised by the flavors of the Cambodian food, which he expected to be spicy. Instead, he said, much of it is sweet.
Once he returns to the U.S., Ben said he hopes to live and work in the D.C. area, though he doesn’t know yet exactly what he wants to do. He is the first member of his family to serve in the Peace Corps.
Ben’s father, Craig Woroch, said his son has always had an adventurous spirit.
“I’m so proud that he chose this path, but it didn’t surprise me that he did something like this,” Craig said.
Woroch’s younger brother, Kevin, also just graduated from Illinois State University this year with a degree in chemistry.