Where to begin...
I began researching the Peace Corps while I was in a Study Abroad program called Discover The World. I lived and studied in Europe for four months. The semester was divided into three five week cohorts allowing for students to experience Salamanca, Spain; Rome, Italy; and Paris, France. The trip was eye opening and it was here that I realized what I wanted to do when I graduated, JOIN THE PEACE CORPS!
I did many, many months of research and bounced my ideas off of family and friends. I surprised most but found the majority, if not all, to be supportive of my decision.
TIME LINE:
January 7: Emailed Application
February 19: Mailed Completed Packet with Fingerprints, ect..
March 12: Interview with BJ in NYC
March 13: Received Nomination Options by phone
March 16: Accepted Nomination: Pacific Islands, Teaching Primary Teachers in September 2009
March 23: Received Medical Packet
April 22: Mailed Completed Medical Packet
May 14: Received Medical Clearance
June 16: Phone interview with Placement Officer. Received email: Invitation in the mail!
June 20: Received Official Invitation!!!!!
I am proud to be invited to serve in the Peace Corps September 2009 as an ESL Teacher & Community Development Worker in The Federated States of Micronesia and Palau.
I am grateful to have had a speedy application process and I'm excited to educate myself more about my upcoming assignment!!!
Hey, Lauren! Thanks for posting on my blog... it's always great to hear of another volunteer that's joined the Micro Sept '09 group! Feel free to send me an email and certainly friend me on Facebook! I'll add your blog to my list of PC links :)
ReplyDeleteAmanda Korell
amanda.korell@gmail.com
hey lauren its JoJo i am on your blog on your page.....so heres where i begin, i just want to say that i am so happy for you and i am so excited about your BIG decision on doing this, i think its wonderful that you are able to know what you wanna do as far as the peace corps and by traveling to the other side of the world and teaching other people your way of life. i think its an excellent decision and is going to be an excellent experience, i see how excited you get when you talk about it and i could not be happier for you,, its going to be really hard when the time comes for you to leave but it just makes your return that much better, i know you will have a great time and your going to learn so much, and i cant wait for you to teach me...lol... we can eat little guy....hahaha but i love you just like a sister and one day you will be my sister, its going to be hard for us to be apart for so long but i will deff. see you when the times are right, Im really going to miss you so much but i hope you have a blast and take lots of pictures for me, we have to party it before you leave in September... i love you so much -JoJo
ReplyDeleteMy Love,
ReplyDeleteWow, your joining the Peace Core! I admire you more then you know for making such a difficult decision, its going to be the best experience of your life this I am sure. There are going to be many ups and downs to follow with this experience, but know I am by your side every step of the way.
There are going to be many stories to come with this adventure, many life long friends made as well, so take advantage of every opportunity to grow and gain unthinkable experiences. I know you are capable of doing anything you put your mind to, so please share your talents and knowledge, this is something that everyone will benefit from.
Wish you all the best, stay safe, keep in touch, my you have the best time of your life! God Bless Ryan
Wo Yang,
ReplyDeleteI MISS YOU!!!!!!!! I hope the trip went well! I hope you enjoyed my voicemail I know I suck at leaving them but it was something I had to do for my big sis. I mean it when I say we will be over there because we will need a vacation this summer and im sure seeing Em and I will make that summer much easier for both of us!
I love you
Thomas
meam!!! i love you so much! i am so proud of you, i really can't say it enough. i cant wait to see you again and i miss you like crazy, but i know that you are finally following your dreams and i know that you will go so far in life. you will accomplish all of the things on your "before you die list" which i do believe is still covered in banana bread lol. i can't believe you are finally over in Micronesia! like, its so amazing! and i know you will have the time of your life, i can't wait to hear all of your stories and see all your pictures! you are gonna have such an experience, and it will forever change your life, for the good of course! i love you so much lauren! you are the wind beneath my wings, my hero, my best friend. i cant wait to see you again. love always, Emmy<3
ReplyDeleteThroughout my k-12 education, technology began to play a greater part in how I learned and how I got things done. I never realized how great of an impact that technology had on my life, you never see how often you use it until you look back on how much you have come into contact with it. You use technology so many times in a day, especially when you’re in school, I am constantly using my computer for homework and writing essay, creating presentations and finding out all sort of information. I always remember using computers when I was in elementary school, well at least trying to. My teachers were always trying to teach us how to use word to write our papers and PowerPoint to make a really great presentation. I even remember using computers when I was in kindergarten, they were nothing like the ones we have today, but those learning games sure were helpful when it came to learning how to spell. When I was younger, a computer was just a big box that let me play games and keep me amused on rainy days; I had no idea what kind of things they really could do. As I got older I began to find different uses for them, like talking to my friends and researching information, a world of technology had been opened. In high school computers became my best friend, no longer were they used for learning games, now the Internet became a window to the world and any answer I ever needed to find was now at my fingertips. It was amazing realizing how much technology had changed my life, I have no idea how I could have handled a research paper without a word or the Internet. When I was in grade school our teachers taught us how to use different programs that would help us find information and then put it all together in an essay or a class project. Without computers, I don’t know how teachers would have been able to teach us as well as they had. With computers they had more resources to find information and new ways to make projects and class work more intriguing. Having a scavenger hunt on the Internet to try and increase our researching capabilities, and having classes to learn how to add animation and sound to our PowerPoint presentations to try and spice up our projects. I loved learning how to use different applications on computers; I found it amazing how much these things could really do, it made doing schoolwork fun and easy. Technology had a huge impact on the way that I learned throughout school, our teachers began to have us submit out essays online rather than printing them out and instead of using textbooks we were taught to use the internet, a never ending source of information. With the help of technology and computers I was able to expand my learning capabilities and find new ways to explore the world.
ReplyDeleteEmily Truss