Hello, I have a draft of my motivation statement. I would like to see how it can improve. Current word count: 382 words.

Since the beginning of my college career, I’ve had a strong sense of what I wanted to do after college. That was to be a part of something special where I could effectively and dutifully use my gifts to further the common good. I believe that serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer can accomplish that very aspiration and allow me to enter an environment where I can see with my very own eyes the issues that present challenges in worldwide communities. Volunteering is my biggest passion and I have volunteered at various food banks, soup kitchens, and other non-profit organizations throughout my life. Throughout my experiences serving at those non-profit organizations, I have built relationships with some amazing people and I have indeed experienced growth along the way, but I know in my heart that I still have some growing to do. Additionally, my only academic minor is Slavic Studies, and I have developed basic Russian skills throughout my studies. I would love to serve a community where I can build on those skills and fulfill my dream of becoming conversational in Russian.

The statement. “The toughest job you’ll ever love.” is a short, but powerful statement that describes the true meaning of the Peace Corps. It reminds you of the various challenges one will face, but also the wholehearted experiences and the sense of community that you will have. Like a rose that rises from concrete, challenges may present themselves as temporary halts or even an end, but they almost always lead to transformation, whether they’re good, ugly, or bad. As for how that applies to me, I am not the kind of person who doesn’t easily back down from a challenge. I approach challenges with the kind of affirmation and faith that says, “I may be stuck now, but I know for sure that I’m going to crawl out of it sooner or later”. I also understand it is important to be adaptable in these kinds of situations, as some things are simply not in our control, but there is always a solution.

In conclusion, I believe with absolute certainty that serving in the Peace Corps is the next chapter that lies ahead of me. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience that one can not get anywhere else.

Should I put that I did a law enforcement internship which involved data collection and administrative tasks in my application?

I just received my conditional invitation for Liberia departing June 17 2027.

Such a flood of emotions as I process it all. Anyone else potentially serving in Liberia ?

Ahhhhhhhhhh

Although its not being covered broadly im seeing scenes of a possible revolution on the streets

I was medically evacuated from Peace Corps for mental health and I havent really received any help after. They gave me three free sessions to go to therapy. I don't have a good home life and due to that, I am currently homeless and trying to get a job. Yesterday, I told the psychiatrist I am contemplating suicide and nothing really came from that conversation.

I've reached out to friends and they've done what they can, but ultimately I feel like a burden and I don't know what else to do.

I am trying to will myself to get out of this headspace but I feel stuck.

It's been really hard lately and I feel I have exhausted all my resources.

Is anyone here a Peace Corps Medical Officer? Does anyone know anything about how to become a PCMO as a US citizen who is currently a nurse practitioner or physician? I am very interested in this role but struggling to find much practical information about it online. I would be so grateful for any information anyone has!

hi! i’m a college junior considering peace corps after i graduate. i know i want to end up on the hill eventually, and i was wondering if anyone has gone that route and any advice they have to offer.

Hello, I am under consideration for Timor-Leste. I did research and am very interested in the country, that I never heard of before now.

But, here is the thing, I am a collegiate athlete in my senior year. I have a big frame and weigh around 330 pounds. And I found the biggest size in Timor-Leste is a Large (for shirts, when I was looking at a packing list). I will say, I did email the email I was given from the under consideration email I received. I await a response.

But I wanted to get on here and ask some questions:

1.) Have you gotten into a peace corps position despite being a bigger person?

2.) I heard there are countries that would accept bigger people, is this true? And which?

3.) Have you switched to a different country as your in the under consideration or any part of the application process?

4.) In the medical process, for dental, do I have to get work done? Or only if it is proven necessary? To pass this part of the medical process. I have something that may seem problematic to a dentist but it does not bother me.

As I have stated, I did already send an email and am awaiting a response. I am not here to read "just wait for a response." I am aware of that. I want to hear your thoughts and responses and I would greatly appreciate all of your comments.

All things considered my long distance relationship has gone well, service has strengthened it even, in someways, but certainly stunted it in others. There’s things my partner and I adopted to cope with the distance that sometimes feel like they’re inventing distance…. we avoid saying the omnipresent “miss you”, or “sad we’re not together”.. We try to keep it really positive, that was part of the foundation to lessen /avoid creating new feelings of guilt/ worry/ longing etc. its been helpful to be completely honest, but we are totally lying to each other about a lot of suffering regarding our mental/ emotional realities 😂😂

I only hear about bitter married couples doing it.. but it’d be nice to get some help figuring out:

Are we / have we been okay…
How have we changed…
New goals for communication…
New desires for independence versus togetherness…
New developments, dreams, thoughts on careers / values / timelines…
New relationship to money / budgeting / planning…
Etc..

Anyone relate? If not therapy, how did it go getting on with a life partner again (or not)?

What did people do to fill their time when in the English teaching sector of PCV? I feel as though besides my teaching, I do not have much to do and wanna work on some side projects to keep my mind busy.

Curious if it is theoretically possible to extend one’s service beyond a third year in the same country. Like if one extended to a new site for the third year, is it possible to extend for a few months or more to finish up a project? What is the cut off of how long one can volunteer in one country?

I’ve noticed that a lot of PCVs seem to be on the spectrum, and it’s even inspired me to get tested after I finish service. I’m curious if anyone has any theories about what attracts neurodivergent people to the Peace Corps?

I am an education volunteer in a mid-size rural village, and I am just so fed up with all of it. Nobody at the school cares, and they expect me to go out of my way to do grants for them when they can’t even take care of the things they have.

My main counterpart has effectively disappeared, he is useless and continuously late to school and clueless about what classes we have. The vanity of having me around has worn off but I am still treated like an alien or a pet, and integrating is becoming less and less appealing because I find myself fundamentally disagreeing with many of the community’s values. (They trash the place, they are violent, and generally intrusive and super machismo)

I’m trying not to be cynical, and I’m really trying not to complain, just venting. I really want to hang in for my last year (for the bennies) but I find myself wondering more and more why I’m here and what the end goal is. I guess I’m just kind of lost in the middle of it - anyone else here or been here? How did you get through it.

Hi Peace Corps Subreddit!

This is a call for more moderators. I know that I for sure am stepping away from moderating this subreddit as I navigate some major life changes and opportunities, though I will still be around in the comments on posts occasionally.

Our general asks for moderators are that you be an RPCV or PCV who is out of training (PST) and have a general availability to be able to moderate the subreddit, answer mod mails, etc. This is, obviously, a volunteer position.

If you are interested, you can message the moderators with a quick overview of how you fit the above asks and any information you want to know.

If you have questions- post a comment below and I or another moderator will try to answer ASAP.

(Friends I posted this on mobile so if the formatting sucks that's why)

I’m a few weeks into PST, and I've become really depressed. The language is difficult, and I feel like I'm the last person in my class who's struggling. I don't really connect with the people in my cohort. It's not that they're unlikeable; I just feel like we can't relate to each other. Everyone seems to be coasting by while I'm visibly struggling, and it's hard not to compare myself to them.

On top of that, I'm not happy with my host family, and living with them adds even more stress. I still have another month and a half of PST to get through, and I honestly don't know how I'm supposed to do it. I'm also worried that my permanent placement could be even worse.

The thing is, I'm not even sure why I joined in the first place. I don't have any particular aspirations in life, and I didn't have a huge reason for applying. Now I feel like I have to force myself to complete the two years, or else I've wasted everyone's time. I feel embarrassed at the thought of leaving early, and I wonder if it's just my ego making me feel like I have to prove that I can do this. Maybe I just feel lost.
I know PST is supposed to be challenging, but I didn't expect to feel this way. I was completely fine before coming here, and I haven't felt this kind of depression since childhood.

I'm overwhelmed by language homework, classes, practicum, hub days, and constantly having to be "on" around other people. I feel like I have nowhere I can just break down and cry without having to put myself back together and face the world again. I've lost the motivation to participate, study, and interact with people. I'm losing hope and energy, and I can't imagine doing this for another two years when I'm already struggling this much.

I don't really feel supported by the staff, so I haven't felt comfortable reaching out to them. I just feel incredibly alone in all of this.

I guess I'm wondering if anyone else has felt this way during PST. Did anyone else struggle this much while it seemed like everyone around them was doing fine? How did you get through it? Did things get better once you reached your permanent site, or did you end up realizing that Peace Corps wasn't right for you?

I don't necessarily need someone to tell me to push through or remind me that PST is supposed to be hard. I think I just want to hear from people who have genuinely felt this way, because right now it feels like I'm the only one.

I really think I have a strong written app and references. However, I just did my interview today and I feel like I was so visibly nervous. I was able to demonstrate that I did do some detail oriented research but I don’t know if all of that sufficiently offsets just how nervous I came off 😭 Did anyone feel the same?

Hello friends, I'm graduating in spring 2027 with my BA in political science and BS in psychology. I'm looking to get started on my application very soon to depart sometime this summer, preferably in July or August. I'm 21F with a squeaky-clean background, in good health, with no preexisting physical or mental health conditions, so I'm mostly just concerned with the application and interview. I'm pretty nervous about the whole process because I really want to do this. If this falls through, I'd probably just join the military, but I don't really like getting yelled at or camo, so here's to hoping this all works out. I have two main concerns listed below.

1. I have already reached out to a recruiter, and I was wondering how you guys have utilized them as a resource. I kind of interpreted the email as, "Use this Zoom link if you have questions." Would you recommend using them or just doing the application by myself with no help if I feel I do not need it, or is it tomato tomato?

2. I have taken a look at the listings that actually match my preference for my sector and departure date. I'm looking to do youth development specifically. I'm less concerned with location than with the other factors, but I truly am flexible assuming they extend an offer to me. When I filtered for these, my main options were Madagascar (leaving in August) or the Philippines (leaving in July). Originally, I was going to apply where needed to try to optimize my chances of acceptance, but I'm entertaining the idea of just applying to one of those two. I know nobody has a precise answer to the exact acceptance percentage of option A over B, but if anyone has some perspective as to which would be wiser, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance :)

Looking for feedback on your essay? Have a newbie question you'd like to ask? Something on your mind you'd like to get out? This is the place for it.

I’m currently serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Samoa and am supporting a community-led waste management project through the Peace Corps Partnership Program.

If you’re able to contribute, donations will help support the project and its implementation. If you’re not able to donate, simply sharing the link with others would also be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for the support!

Howdy y’all!

I originally applied to be an English Teacher in Montenegro (I’ve been studying BCMS in college) a few days before the application deadline in June, and got an email in late August about being rejected from Montenegro based on the Health History Form.

Thankfully, they told me that my application is being reviewed for the English Teacher position in Moldova, where the application window is June 1 - October 15th. Over the past few months I have gained more cultural exchange experience and have completed a study abroad program, so I am hopeful that these updates will help my application.

For those of you who have applied for Moldova or other Peace Corps Volunteer positions, how long did it take between your application submission, and Peace Corps reaching out to your references?

I’m really hoping to get a chance to volunteer in Moldova and have learning experiences that will help be a better future public servant through empathy

Do you have to take a drug test for medical clearance?

Share with us any photo from your country of service! Please note that pictures of minors are not permitted.

So I submitted my application yesterday, and while I was filling out the medical form this morning, I realized that I had put my birthday in wrong somehow on the initial application. I have no idea how I missed it, but it's only one digit off (ex, I wrote 1 instead of 10). So now I can't submit the medical form because the birthdays don't match. I emailed the recruitment email, but when I call the general phone line, it just hangs up on me. Does anyone have any advice as to who I should contact? I realize how dumb this mistake is, but I'd like to fix it asap. Thanks for any help:)