With the possibility of law or grad school, I haven’t the slightest idea of how long I’ll be in school, or how long it’ll be before I find a real job. However, i imagine that once I finally graduate (or rather if I graduate…) and hopefully begin a career, the idea of me waking up one day and saying “I think I’m going to leave and join the Peace Corps for a few years” becomes less feasible.
However, the mission of the Peace Corps, which is to help train men and women in developing countries, to help people in foreign countries to better understand, and to help Americans understand the rest of the world, is something that I believe in firmly. I’ve always been interested in international affairs (I’m a double major in international politics), and I have always dreamed of doing something I find meaningful, something where I really feel like I am in some small way positively impacting the world.
I realize that growing up the US, I have been blessed with a relatively easy life compared with that of people in many of parts of the world. And I want to help make a difference in the lives of those people. I would love to be able to at some point in my life join the Peace Corps, to immerse myself into a culture vastly different than what I am used to in the U.S., and at the same time helping to educate and improve the lives of people around the world.
But of course, my education is of upmost importance to me, and if grad school of some sort is the path that I eventually choose to follow, I was not willing to sacrifice my education in order to join. But after researching it some more, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Peace Corps actually has a program for grad students! So, no matter what direction I choose to go in with my life, the option of joining the Peace Corps remains open to me.
The Peace Corps has a program called Masters International, where at over 80 institutions, you can actually earn credit towards a masters degree while working for the Peace Corps abroad. I am just so excited for all that the future holds, and the fact that I have the option to combine my dream of furthering my education, and doing something to substantially impact the life of someone in need, is incredible, and is something that I really hope to do.
Links:
http://www.peacecorps.gov
http://blogs.miis.edu/communications/files/2010/08/peace-corps-NPR1.jpg
It’s actually quite ironic that you posted about this because I was just thinking about this while I was at the gym this morning. I never thought it would really be something feasible for me to partake in either, but the older I become and the more I think about it, I can’t help but see the educational and personal development benefits it provides. Though I am still unsure of whether or not I would be able to go somewhere with the Peace Corps for a long period of time based on my aspirations of attending medical school and becoming a doctor, I definitely see the positive aspects of joining and think the fact that it offers graduate study options really broadens the audience that it attracts.
Anyone that participates in something like the Peace Corps is doing an admirable thing. As Americans, I think we do take a lot for granted when really we should do more to share the knowledge and prosperity that we experience. Especially if you are able to include it in your education, that makes it even better! Not only would you be rewarded emotionally for helping others but also you would earn your degree. Good Luck!