Do you like traveling? Do you want to make a difference? Then maybe the Peace Corps is the right fit for you.
Do you get homesick? Does possibly living without electricity, running water, and no internet bother you? Then maybe it's not the best fit for you.
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The other day my mom was talking about a friend who, after he retired, joined the Peace Corps and is teaching English in St. Lucia for two years. It piqued my interest because I've always loved traveling and volunteering appealed to me. So I started researching what the Peace Corps was all about and why I should consider joining after getting my undergraduate degree.
1. The Benefits
There are so many benefits to volunteering for the Peace Corps. There's financial, student loan, travel, career, medical/dental, and graduate school benefits. The one that appealed to me the most is the graduate school benefit. The Paul D. Coverdell Fellows program partners offers returning Peace Corps Volunteers reduced tuition, assistantships, and stipends at the majority of universities and colleges.
"Peace Corps service asks a lot of you. But it also has a lot to give. While you serve others, you will be gaining benefits that last through your Volunteer service and well beyond." - peacecorps.gov
2. The Experience
Being in a foreign country for two years, you're going to experience things that tourists don't. You will be immersed in the culture, and living with host families you'll get to experience day-to-day living first hand. You'll be introduced to new foods, music, and clothing. If you're going to be in that country for a while you're bound to learn the language—if not fluently, you will at least pick up some key words.
3. Making a Difference
Don't be naive enough to think you're going to fix everything wrong wherever you are stationed. Problems take a long time to go away, but you will certainly make an impact in that location. For example, if you're teaching English just think of how much of an impact you are going to make on your students.
Joining the Peace Corps isn't as easy as you'd think. There's a long application process (could take up to a year), a lot of training and preparation. There are also certain requirements that you have to have for certain volunteer programs, like having a particular degree. Even once you make the cut, volunteering isn't going to be easy. You'll probably get culture shock. When you're looking at different countries to volunteer at take in consideration how much walking/biking you might be doing, you might need to be physically fit. Also if you have asthma or diabetes etc.. the country you're staying at might not be able to accommodate your needs.
Even though it won't be easy, it'll be very rewarding and will definitely be an experience you won't ever forget. For more information go to Peacecorps.gov and, if you are interested, contact a recruiter near you and apply.
