From UT to the Peace Corps: Finding Purpose Through Service

In Kyoto and remote areas across Japan, recent graduate Julian Vaca (B.A. ’26) spent 11 months of his junior year volunteering alongside rice and vegetable farmers, supporting local revitalization efforts, and traveling to small towns where local leaders worked to sustain rural economies.   

Along the way, during his reciprocal exchange year at Kyoto University, Vaca immersed himself in spaces that exposed him to innovative agriculture practices and the challenges that face rural communities experiencing population decline.   

“Those ended up being some of my favorite memories,” Vaca said. “I met best friends through a student group that works in community revitalization. They go to different small towns, find an artisanal product and sell it at larger markets in urban areas.”  

He added, “We found one medicinal plant called kuromoji that, when ground down, smells like vanilla. We ended up baking a lot of goods with it, which we sold at different markets around Kyoto. It was a really unique experience that connected me to the rural communities outside of Kyoto.” 

Vaca's year in Japan intertwined three interests — service, cross-cultural exchange and agriculture — and exhibited how locally-driven solutions can create lasting impact. His time there also clarified the type of impact Vaca hoped to make upon his return to campus and for the rest of his life.   

After graduating with degrees in economics and political science in May 2026, Vaca’s path now leads to Fiji, where he will begin his service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in September.  

Connecting with Texas Global  

Raised in Cypress, Texas, Vaca arrived at The University of Texas at Austin in 2022 with curiosity about the world and a desire to make a positive impact.   

“I’ve always had friends from different countries, and my parents immigrated from Mexico, so that got me in tune with international communities,” Vaca said.   

Vaca's global interests would shape several chapters of his undergraduate experience. Beyond studying abroad, Vaca found meaningful opportunities at Texas Global, including  his role as a cultural ambassador for UT's English Language Center.

“We’re a student team that works with students on short-term programs who come to the University to learn English,” Vaca said. “We help arrange excursions, lead tours, help with housing and any other questions that arise. We are ambassadors for the University who are there to help students adjust and thrive here.”  

He added, “It’s been an incredible opportunity to meet students from other countries and make those connections.”  

Vaca worked as an ambassador for the year leading up to his stint abroad and enjoyed it so much that he returned to the role afterward, during his senior year.  

Vaca is also a graduate of the Peace Corps Prep program, which connected him with international students, different cultures and service-oriented work that aligned with his long-term goals.   

Peace Corps Prep, an undergraduate certificate program at Texas Global, helps students develop the leadership, intercultural competency and sector-specific skills needed for Peace Corps service and other globally focused careers.  

“I have always viewed U.S. Foreign Service as a potential path, and the Peace Corps Prep program is a very good pipeline for that,” Vaca said. “I ended up meeting a lot of amazing people and realized it was this self-selecting group of people who shared similar interests. I was really drawn to that.”   

Learning Through Service 

Julian fulfilled the program’s volunteering requirement while studying abroad in Japan. In addition to connecting with farmers and rural communities, Vaca volunteered at a kodomo shokudo, or children’s café, which offers healthy meals and a welcoming space to families from low-income backgrounds.  

“In Japan, single mothers, specifically, have a very high poverty rate compared to the rest of the population,” Vaca said. “What ended up happening was, a lot of the retired population started opening their homes for kids to get free meals and socialize, while the parent worked all day.”  

What started as a grassroots effort has blossomed into a formalized initiative with more than 10,000 cafeterias scattered throughout the country.  

“They're all across Japan, and there's a very large number of them in Kyoto,” Vaca said. “There are many nonprofits whose whole operating structure revolves around these cafeterias. It’s a people-focused approach, which I appreciate. It’s a really good thing.”   

Vaca connected with a student group that works in close coordination with these cafeterias. Before long, weekends became synonymous with volunteering at cafeterias alongside students. As the only non-Japanese student in the 300-member organization, he found himself in the ideal environment to improve his grasp of the language.   

“It was a great way to learn the language, because the people were super-welcoming, especially the kids,” Vaca said. “Kids are actually the best people to talk to when you’re learning a language. They are not afraid to correct your mistakes to your face, or tell you when you ‘sound silly,’ so that was super helpful.”  

Turning Experience into Action 

As Vaca's year in Japan came to an end, he began looking for ways to continue the community-focused work that had become one of the most meaningful aspects of his experience abroad. An opportunity emerged through a longtime friend and fellow Longhorn who volunteered with Foundation Communities, an Austin nonprofit that provides affordable housing and support services for residents. 

After learning that Foundation Communities needed additional volunteers, the pair decided to create Foundation Communities on Campus, a student organization that connects Longhorns with volunteer opportunities.  

“I wanted to see if I could create a version here of those same volunteering opportunities I had in Japan,” Vaca said. 

 After returning from Japan just one week before the fall semester began, Vaca immediately got to work recruiting members and building the organization.  

“We were literally working things out as we went,” he said.  

As the group searched for ways to support Foundation Communities, Vaca found himself drawing techniques directly from the organizations that had shaped his experience abroad. 

Community revitalization groups in Japan frequently hosted bake sales to raise funds, while children's cafeterias emphasized bringing people together through shared meals and community engagement.  

“I basically took those two groups I was involved with in Japan and blended them together,” Vaca said.  

The students organized bake sales throughout the year, eventually raising funds to host a communal meal for the nonprofit’s clients. Working alongside other student groups, they brought volunteers together to prepare food and serve residents while creating opportunities for conversation and connection. 

“That ended up being really fun, and it was a good goal for us to set because it gave us an end point to reach,” Vaca said. “Because of that, we were much more cohesive as an organization.” 

He added, “We actually did good enough of a job for it to survive and continue the next year. We have a new officer team, and I handed off my role as co-president.”  

For Vaca, the project became an example of how ideas, relationships and lessons learned abroad can create meaningful impact wherever he calls home. 

Finding a Mission  

In September 2026, Vaca will depart for Fiji, where he will serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Community Economic Development sector. Following an intensive three-month language and cultural training program, he will support projects focused on strengthening small businesses, expanding economic opportunities, and helping local populations identify new ways to create value from existing resources.  

For Vaca, the assignment feels like a natural continuation of the work that first inspired him in Japan.  

“This is an extension of the work I was already doing in Japan,” Vaca said. “We went to these small villages and asked, ‘What else can you do with this product in order to revitalize the community?’ ”  

The opportunity also serves as the culmination of his experience in Texas Global's Peace Corps Prep program, which allowed Vaca to test whether the Peace Corps aligned with his methods and values.  

“The more I've done with the certificate, the more excited I've become about going to Fiji,” Vaca said. “If this is what you want to do, you will find your favorite experiences through the Peace Corps Prep program.”  

Reflecting on his time at UT Austin as he prepares to leave the Forty Acres, Vaca says the greatest achievement he has gained is a sense of purpose.  

“I found what I wanted to do here,” Vaca said. “I found a mission, something I can keep building toward. I want to keep working at the intersection of people, agriculture and conservation. That's what I want to dedicate my life toward.”