Peace Corps
Posted by veganhippie on Feb 20, 2011 · Member since May 2008 · 5810 posts
I've probably talked about this before, but this time, i'm much more serious about it. I really wanna join the peace corps. But i'm freaking terrified. But i still wanna go. I still have a year before i should start my application, but i've gotta start deciding if this is really what i want to do.
Well, do it! :)
my friend did it... she was gone for 3 years... yikes... but saw a lot of awesome places
Have you talked to anyone in the Peace Corps about it? They usually hold information and Q&A sessions at local colleges and libraries and if you haven't already, you'll probably find them very helpful. Afterwards you can talk to the person who hosts it about your personal concerns and they can help you make your decision. You can find a list on their website of where they will be and when.
There are also books written by people who were in the Peace Corps. If you have the time you should read some of them. Another good thing to do is to talk to people who were in the Peace Corps so you can get a better idea of what you will be doing. Pretty much, before you fill out your application you should try to be as informed as much as possible. The more you know, the less anxiety there will be.
Definitely talk to the Peace Corp.
Humboldt had the top enlistment in the nation (I think), so there was a big Corp presence on campus. What I remember is that there are a lot of applicants, so they are selective in picking people with certain skill sets. Talk to them early to find out what will give you a competitive advantage.
These are their fields:
Education
Youth and Community Development
Health
Business and Information & Communication Technology
Agriculture
Environment
So, for example, if you're interested in Youth and Community Development, you could find a school with a gardening program. In Humboldt the gate school had an organic garden for which the students were responsible. I used to volunteer to work with AmeriCorps workers and help out in the classroom and garden. That'd give you classroom/child management experience, teaching experience, environmental experience...
thanks guys!!!
my friend's neighbor's cousin just came back from it and she's the one who really got me interested. so we're gonna talk to her and pick her brain.
My main concern is just being away from my family for so long. but i know it'll be such a worthwhile experience.
If you have a chance to do something like that with your life, I say go for it man. My aunt spent about 10 - 15 years in the Phillippines and it was a real eye opener and a life changer for her. Traveling when you're young is essential for any younger person who wants to get to know only her/his self and to know how the real world works.
I'm happy for you and hope to hear how it turns out. Above all, have a good time while you can.
Peace, love, understanding and harmony,
N.
thanks, twobluemoons!!!
my other concern is being vegan while in the peace corps. I know that there will probably always be a vegetable for me to eat, but what if there isn't? (i know this is probably a dumb concern)
Sheesh, I never thought of that. I'm a vegan too and couldn't ever bring myself to compromise that part of myself. :(
Not sure what to say after this though. I'm sorry.
Peace, love, understanding and harmony.
If you have a chance to do something like that with your life, I say go for it man. My aunt spent about 10 - 15 years in the Phillippines and it was a real eye opener and a life changer for her. Traveling when you're young is essential for any younger person who wants to get to know only her/his self and to know how the real world works.
I'm happy for you and hope to hear how it turns out. Above all, have a good time while you can.
Peace, love, understanding and harmony,
N.
my friend says a guy she met while doing this was vegan, but i think he fell off the wagon while doing this... it seemed to me like her take on it was not to upset the host?! so i dunno :/
yeah exactly, like in some countries if you refuse to eat something they put in front of you, it's seen as disrespectful. and they don't understand things like veganism. :/ well, i'll talk to that girl and see if she has any knowledge on that.
Call it a food allergy, then. You're from the US, people expect us to be high maintenance.
In which of the Peace Corps programs are you interested? PeaceCorp projects can be ill-conceived. Like, constructing wells, leaving, and then a part of the well goes out and the people are back to carrying water. Some group constructed wells, didn't test the water, and a lot of people were poisoned. I don't remember if it was PeaceCorp or not.
If it doesn't work out, you can always apply to AmeriCorp if the funding isn't cut. There's tribal land in the southwest and areas of the Appalachians that are quite third-world. Or volunteer in your community.
i'm thinking of education, like teaching english.
i've heard of americorp, but i've never researched it
Yes! AmeriCorps. My daughter in law spent a year or two doing just that and she was taking kids out and teaching them outdoorsy kinds of stuff. She was then living in Taos, NM. So many possibilities.
All the best!
i have heard that it is incredibly hard to be vegan in most places w/ the peace corps. i don't know if they have many tropical locations... but perhaps somewhere a lot of fruit is grown/eaten would be good.
i also was considering doing the PC right after college, but the vegan thing deterred me.
yeah that's a big thing for me. my ideal place to go is jamaica because i've been there and i know that i could be vegan there. but you don't always go where you prefer to go.
you could always apply and if you don't get what you want turn it down.
can you do that?
yeah... unless i am incredibly mistaken.
sweet. i'm emailing someone from the peace corps now. I'll ask about the vegan thing.
areas of the Appalachians that are quite third-world.
Hey now...that's near my area of the country (pause) and I agree with you. Hahaha!
Pages