Career Service Number One

Today I went to the PeaceCorp information career service at the downtown Phoenix campus inside the A.E England Building.

I thought this was a great location due to the cultural nature of the downtown area, and the cultural learning of the PeaceCorp information session. 

I decided to do this event, because I was really interested in the PeaceCorps when I was younger, so I thought I would give myself a chance to see what it was all about. Plus, I had never had a chance before to learn more about PeaceCorps, or knew how to move forward with it. 

When I first walked in into the historic building, past PeaceCorp volunteers were speaking in front of the room, and tables with information surrounded the perimeter of the building. 

I started off by grabbing a seat, and listening to the speakers.

Each speaker experienced their volunteering in a different region- Mongolia, Philippines, Samoa, Central America. They shared stories about their experiences, and how it helped change them and build character. It was funny hearing their stories about cultural learning experiences, each one unique to the region. Everyone that spoke seemed very excited about what they had to share, and were very thankful for the experience. 

After the speeches, I walked around the room and browsed the informational tables. I realized there were many educational opportunities in addition to the traditional PeaceCorps. To be a PeaceCorps volunteer you are placed in a foreign country for 27 months. Each volunteer has the opportunity to learn another culture, exchange knowledge and cultural experiences. However, if you weren't quite up to committing for 27 months,  there are opportunities to study abroad for a semester, which most people are aware of. There were also programs such as collaborative solutions through the school of engineering to bridge the gap between cultures. It was nice to see how many ways there were to reach out and learn another culture, while creating a memorable experience for all parties involved. 

Although I think I missed my time to explore the PeaceCorps, I am glad to know there are other ways to have a cultural, and educational experience. I definitely encourage anyone who isn't quite ready to go into the workforce after college, to explore the PeaceCorps! It looks like an amazing experience for so many reasons, and there are so many benefits for a volunteer when they come back, including scholarships for a Master's Degree. 

I am glad I took the opportunity to learn about the PeaceCorps, because it was something out of the norm for me, and I at least got to explore a childhood dream.