I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in The Gambia, West Africa from 2017-2019 and left just before the global pandemic. The process to get there was extremely challenging and I sympathize with all of the young grads who just hope to explore the world but have to deal with the lengthy and confusing medical and legal clearance process of Peace Corps. Having left and gone on to work at other U.S.G. agencies, I can say that the Peace Corps medical clearance process was the most difficult process that I have undergone. Was it worth it?
Absolutely. I cannot imagine a world in which I did not pursue Peace Corps service. Peace Corps was the first real milestone in my international relations career-a whirlwind two years in which I was finally able to experience the awe of living overseas. I had always imagined living abroad but those first few days in West Africa cemented the fact that this was the path that I was meant to take.
In an ideal world, all international relations professionals would have some overseas experience. Gambia demystified the Global South for me, in ways that still profoundly impact my thinking today. When I hear common tropes about the “developing world,” I immediately think of my host family in Gambia and their reactions to oft-repeated stereotypes. I cannot imagine a career of mine that started without the foundational shaping of Peace Corps.
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