Join the Peace Corps

In order to be accepted by the PC, I’d like to have some experience in agroforestry and teaching. I found a program through Americorps that takes place over the summer near where I live for a full three months doing forestry work and working with youth. In order to get into this, however, I need some other sort of experience in both gardening and working with youth, so I am trying to get involved in Boise’s community gardens and also maybe a Big Brother/Big Sister program, or something similar. I am so anxious to get some of these requirements underway; I have never been so excited about my future. This is amazing.

Okay, well I just did some more reading, and found out an area of volunteering that interests me – agroforestry – and learned of some requirements, including experience in gardening/farming and experience in tutoring youth or adults, so this definitely helps guide me in my search for volunteer work. I really am terrified, ha.
I think it’s just so surreal to me that I’m actually beginning to put this goal in motion – it’s been something I’ve looked forward to for so long, and I just can’t believe that I wasn’t already doing things to prepare myself. But I still have time. It will be at the very least another year and a half before I graduate, once I look at the credits I need.

I just did some more reading, and I think I have a long way to go, and I’m scared and excited. I suppose I either need to learn French or Spanish. French, for Africa, Spanish, for South America. I think Spanish would be easier to learn. I am conversational in Japanese, but that doesn’t help at all, haha. I also need to start volunteering. I used to do volunteer work for the Make-a-Wish foundation, but that isn’t particularly relevant to the PC. Former volunteers speak highly of becoming involved in community gardens, which is something I’d definitely be interested in, and I know there is a large population of refugees around here, so there’s another good volunteer opportunity that suits me. Oh geez this is so scary.

I’m zeroing in on graduating from college (about a year left?), and I’m getting worried that I won’t be accepted by the Peace Corps – I guess they have a 50% acceptance rate. I haven’t contacted anyone from the organization, but I think maybe I should?

I think this goal is going to have to wait until I’ve finished college. And I might be better off with a Peace Corps alternative; I’ve been doing some reading on many of them.