On Monday October 22nd I attended the Peace Corps Informational Session in Hagerty Hall to fulfill my non-IA requirement. I’ve been interested in joining the Peace Corps or some equivalent for much of my high school career; in fact, I remember trying to convince my parents to let me volunteer abroad instead of attending college. As a linguistics major, I’ve always been interested in teaching English and working with other languages. I was very excited to learn, then, that our presenter, Laura Joseph, actually volunteered as a language teacher in Benin, West Africa. She told us that language teachers are the most sought-after volunteer work for the Peace Corps, and there are many opportunities available for language teachers. As she described her own experience in her small town, I tried to picture myself in her shoes. Could I put in all the work and effort needed to help a community? Would I feel isolated from others? Would I be willing to open myself up to the people around me and truly try to understand their culture? While I’m not sure I have the answers to these questions yet, it was interesting to delve into her recollection of her experience. She truly abided by the principle that the Peace Corps is “the toughest job you’ll ever love”.
I’ve always been interested in working and volunteering abroad, but I was never sure what the next step would be after such an experience and how I would adjust back to a “normal” life. Luckily, the Peace Corps provides aid for veterans (or PCVs), such as money to use when you return, student loan deferment, and programs that help PCVs get into graduate school or a job. One benefit of Peace Corps that especially stood out to me was the ability to gain my TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Certificate after completing my volunteering abroad. I have looked into becoming a teacher and perhaps working as an ESL teacher in other countries as a possible profession. Also, gaining such a certificate would allow me to be more competitive for graduate schools and in the job market.
Of course, the main reason I would love to become a part of the Peace Corps is to serve others. I would gain many post-volunteering perks, but more importantly I would enhance the lives of others around me and become more open to new experiences. I am still continuing to look more into the Peace Corps and plan to apply after I graduate from Ohio State.