Last Wednesday, I went to see a panel of former Peace Corps volunteers speak at the Korbel School of International Studies about their experiences. Going in, I was a little tentative.
I’d been told that, yes, Peace Corps Volunteers help change the world, but there are also many risks and sacrifices that come with the job.
Friends reminded me how long 27 months of service really is, pointing out that it is equivalent to half my time as an undergraduate. My parents warned me that women are sometimes treated poorly in the Peace Corps.
Newspaper articles reporting horror stories of a volunteer being raped while doing her service has scared them away from the idea of sending their daughter halfway around the world to do the same. But there’s a reason those stories made the paper. Most volunteers characterize their service as the best experience of their lives.
For some, it offers an escape from an overly scheduled life in the U.S. For others, it’s an opportunity to help people in need. Some even use the experience to discover who they really are when not masked by U.S. materialism and selfish desires. For many, it’s all three.
I love that the Peace Corps offers a chance to completely start over. It’s so easy for Americans to get caught up in the “go, go, go” lifestyle. So many of us are always looking toward the future and not thinking about the present moment.
One panelist described her fear of spiraling through the long black tunnel that was her career in corporate banking. She used the Peace Corps as a way to throw herself off the pre-defined career ladder she was climbing.We need to stop and ask ourselves “what about right now? What can I do to enrich my life today?” The Peace Corps is just that. People around the globe need help every second of every day.
When volunteers do their service, they aren’t doing it to help them get a job in the future, or to earn money for their savings. They’re doing it because it helps someone in that moment. It makes their lives meaningful.
As daunting as it seems, I know that the 27-month service requirement is necessary. Many people smile and pat themselves on the back for spending a couple months serving over the summer. Of course, that kind of service is always beneficial, but it doesn’t make the same kind of impact as long-term work.
The work that Peace Corps volunteers do is sustainable. Another panelist described how even after her commitment was up, she continued working with the organic farm in the Philippines, run by her host family. She stayed a few extra months and has returned to help twice in the past couple of years.
A 27-month term changes the service location into a home. It builds everlasting friendships with host families, allows volunteers to assimilate into the community and gives enough time for their work to actually make a difference that will last once the volunteer has left.
Despite all of the big projects the panelists worked on in their respective countries, each one emphasized that those weren’t the only way they made a difference.
One panelist said that the town he lived in turned him into a mini – celebrity – just by acting like a role model, he was able to motivate the town to do “little things,” like to stop littering and brushing teeth on a daily basis.
Another panelist said the town didn’t really need her help to make the necessary changes. They just needed a little push and someone to tell them they could do it.
Some argue that volunteers should focus their energy on the U.S. rather than around the world. The U.S. has people who are in just as dire situations as those in developing countries. I couldn’t agree more that people everywhere need help. However, I think it’s just up to the volunteer to decide where they want to do it.
For me, I love to travel. I’d love to use the Peace Corps as an opportunity to experience something new while doing my service, but doing things like AmeriCorps is just as beneficial.
The Peace Corps is a huge commitment to make, but how could it not be worth it? Volunteers change the lives of others while growing as a person and gaining a global perspective on life. I can’t imagine anything that’s more worth my time.
