FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About My Service

Day 1

Why did you join Peace Corps?

My desire to join Peace Corps started brewing while a student at West Virginia University. As an intern with FirstHand Co-Op, I helped market and distribute coffee for a Nicaraguan cooperative named “La Hermandad”. We worked closely with our partners to carry out our mission of sustained and inclusive economic development. Ultimately, it was work that I just felt good doing. Afterwards, I pursued public service full-time by pursuing a Masters of Public Administration and subsequently started working for the federal government. After some time, I felt I my work in contracts and financial management had become too far removed from helping ordinary people to whom I had originally dedicated my career.

Why did you apply to Colombia in particular?

The Community Economic Development program in Colombia was an ideal fit both personally and professionally. I had developed an appreciation and affinity towards Latin America through my work at First Hand Co-Op, as well as through several trips backpacking on a shoestring budget throughout the region. During graduate school, I developed a lasting friendship with my great friend Santiago, who is from Medellin. He was such a great ambassador of Colombia to the U.S. and I saw PC Colombia as an opportunity return the favor (Santiago will soon be returning to the U.S. as a Fulbright Doctoral Fellow).

The opportunity to take part in the pilot CED program in Colombia was enough for me to take a two-year hiatus from my “formal” work. Colombia, as a post, was reestablished in 2010 after ceasing to operate since the 1980’s.

What is your work like?

Today, I spend much of my time co-teaching entrepreneurship to teenagers, and pursuing secondary projects, such as painting a world map and introducing rugby. Outside of the scholastic setting, I work with a technician developing his business plan to manufacture and sell solar panels in my rural community. Additionally, I sprinkle financial literacy (financial planning, savings groups, etc.) when opportunities present themselves. Other volunteers spend more time with agricultural associations working towards our program objectives. My work has an element of “figuring it out along the way” to it, but what Peace Corps program doesn’t? And added degree of flexibility is required of CED volunteers in Colombia because the program is in its infancy.

How are living conditions?

How I live is as influential to my Peace Corps experience as what I do. I live in a rural town about 6 hours from a metro-area, which is indeed one of the more isolated and smaller sites in Colombia. I live with a host family, which is mandatory here. Host family living adds a degree of integration as well as security (though I rarely feel unsafe in my small village). I live with a large family and neighbors who are relatives. It’s an open-door type policy most hours. My home is humble and secure with a solid roof and windows to peer out of from my second story bedroom. I (usually) have running water and electricity. I have Internet at home and 3g services on my phone, which makes me readily available to colleagues and family in the U.S. On the Caribbean Coast, temperatures soar into the 90s daily and stay that way throughout the year. The heat impacts many aspects of life and culture here, though refuge can be found at night. Homes with a disposable income invest in air conditioners.