Important Acronyms and Definitions:

Below are some important stages of a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) that I thought I would define before I start spouting off these foreign words/ideas in my posts:

Staging: Initial gathering/orientation that happens in a major city in the USA before departing to host country. This orientation briefs the volunteers on their job descriptions, what is expected of them and what to expect upon arrival and into the next stages of Peace Corps. It is a great time to meet the other volunteers and the in-country staff that are at the event. For my staging, I will be meeting in Washington, DC. 

Pre-Service Training: After arriving in country, the first three months are designed to integrate the volunteers into the new environment with language, culture and skills training sessions. During this time the trainees will be placed with host families that speak their assigned local language. The volunteers will alternate from the training center to the host home throughout the three months of training. After the trainees pass language tests at a required proficiency, they are eligible to swear-in and become official Peace Corps Volunteers. 

In-Service Training: Peace Corps Volunteers do a multitude of in-service training sessions throughout their two year service in a variety of topics to enhance their community and their projects. 

Early Termination: When a Peace Corps Volunteer {or trainee} decides to discontinue his/her service before the 27 month requirement. 

Returned Peace Corps Volunteer: A Peace Corps Volunteer that has completed his/her service and has left the host country/returned to the United States. 

And, below is a list of {some} acronyms, but don't worry, I will remind you of most of them before I use them again. . . hopefully. 

AO- Administrative Officer
APCMO- Area Peace Corps Medical Officer
CD- Country Director
CDA- Country Desk Assistant
CDU- Country Desk Unit
COS- Close of Service
CWWS- Coverdell World Wise Schools (program)
DOS- Description of Service 
ET- Early Termination 
IST- In-Service Training
PCMO- Peace Corps Medical Officer
PCR- Peace Corps Response
PCRV- Peace Corps Response Volunteer
PCT- Peace Corps Trainee 
PCV- Peace Corps Volunteer
PCVHS- Peace Corps Volunteer Health System
PCVL- Peace Corps Volunteer Leader
PST- Pre-Service Training
PTO- Programming and Training Officer
QTRS- Quarterly Trainee Report Summary 
RPCV- Returned Peace Corps Volunteer
RRO- Regional Recruitment Office
SPA- Small Project Assistance
USAID- United States Agency for International Development (My Career Dream!)
VAC- Volunteer Advisory Committee
VAD- Volunteer Assignment Description 

Peace Corps Timeline

I thought a timeline would be helpful for anyone thinking about or is in the process of applying to the Peace Corps. It is a lengthy one, but don't give up!

Peace Corps Timeline: 

Started application: 11/20/14

Submitted application: 1/20/14

Interview: 3/5/14

Nomination: 3/7/14

Pre-legal clearance: 3/26/14

Recruiter requested assignments to be completed: 6/4/14

Submitted assignments: 6/12/14

All requested materials received confirmation and response suggesting a two month timeframe until invitation decision is made: 6/16/14

Phone interview scheduled: 7/14/14

Phone interview: 7/18/14

Requested additional shadowing and volunteer experience report by  8/16/14: 7/18/14

Submitted additional experience: 7/31/14

Inquired about Ebola outbreak and its consequences on my March 2015 Departure: 7/31/14

Received invitation to serve in Peace Corps Senegal in the Community Health Program: 8/19/14

Accepted invitation to serve: 8/19/14

Medical taks assigned: 8/20/14

Passport/visa pictures taken: 8/26/14

Passport appointment: 8/26/14

All Medical Portal tasks posted: 9/4/14

Mailed passport and visa: 9/5/14

Finished all activities in New Volunteer Portal: 9/5/14

Assigned LearningSpace account and enrolled into two courses: Safety and Core Expectations: 9/5/14

Dr. Appointment #1: Dentist

Dr. Appointment #2: Physical

Dr. Appointment #3: Blood Work

Dr. Appointment #4: Dermatologist

Dr. Appointment #5: Gynecologist (Note: future female volunteers, WAIT for your pap smear until four months before your departure date. Because I did not have this information, I had two pap smears within eight months!)

Dr. Appointment #6: Yellow Fever Vaccination, Polio Vaccination, Chicken Pox Vaccination (I could not locate any clinical evidence that I had the chicken pox as a child and are thus immune, so I had to have extra blood work done to prove immunity)

Dr. Appointment #7: Optometrist 

Dr. Appointment #8: Chiropractor

Dr. Appointment #9: Follow-up Appointment

Dr. Appointment #10: Follow-up Appointment

All required forms, reports, and documentation requires for Medical Clearance Submitted/Received: 11/3/14

Medical Office requested additional tests/documentation: 11/4/14

Submitted additional medical requests: 11/23/14

Final Medical Clearance: 12/1/14

Legally Cleared: (Sometime before 12/12/15, I did not hear anything on this regard so I inquired about my standing)

Obtained flight info from SATO: 1/28/15

Domestic travel from Ohio to DC booked through SATO: 1/28/15

Staging in Washington, DC: 2/27/15

Departure to Dakar, Senegal, West Africa: 2/28/15

Depart/Arrive in Thies, Senegal, Peace Corps Training Headquarters: 3/1/15

Pre-Service Training: 8 weeks of training 

Official Peace Corps Volunteer Swear-In Ceremony: 5/8/15

Why Peace Corps?

Hey Everyone! I guess a good way to start this blog is to let you view my aspiration letter to the Peace Corps to get a feel of where I am coming from and why I decided to embark on this new adventure. 

To Whom It May Concern:

My name is Jennifer Lowe and I graduated from Miami University in 2010 with my BA, majoring in Anthropology and minoring in Political Science and Global Perspectives on Sustainability. I attended law school during the 2011-2012 academic year where I gained experience in critical thinking and policy analysis. My education has always been internationally focused, and I am a self-starting individual who is interested in assisting in other countries by helping increase human understanding across cultural barriers.

My journey to the Peace Corps has been a windy one. I first decided that I wanted to join when I was 15 when I met my first Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV). She spoke of her adventures and how the commitment changed her life. I admired her. Then, my junior year of high school, I became best friends with the foreign exchange student, Danielita, from Bolivia. Befriending her was one of the most precious events of my life. We forged an unbreakable friendship and managed to stay in contact and visit each other often since she returned home. After my first trip to Bolivia to see her in 2005, my eyes were opened to the struggles of a developing country. That experience solidified my decision in becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer. 

Before I attended college, I do not think that I was properly educated on all the career possibilities because my intentions were to become a doctor and later a lawyer when neither of those options fit my personality.  Amongst my course work I found Anthropology. I went back and forth with other pre-med classes struggling to find the interest and passion that I found so easily in Anthropology. In the mist of that struggle, I decided to study abroad and broaden my horizons with a foreign education.

I studied abroad in Luxembourg in 2008, one of the highest GNP countries in the world, and saw a completely different view of foreign living and culture than I did in South America. Although I enjoyed traveling and experiencing the peoples in Western Europe, I wanted to experience something more remote and meaningful. During my senior year of college I participated in an applied anthropology, pilot Tibetan Studies Program, where I was in a low income and low amenity area of the world. I learned so much about the Tibetan community’s beliefs along with my own.  I experienced hand washing my clothes, hanging them up to dry outside my window, then to only be stolen by the wild monkeys. I experienced daily power outages, lack of bathrooms, showers and other basic amenities, including water. My limits were tested and my eyes were opened, but I cherished every day within the community because of the experiences I was able to share and gain from the people. I went there to help the Tibetan community, but I think they helped me more than they will ever know. I learned a lot about myself and what I truly value in life.

Since then, I have gauged my career choices on my experiences in India with the Tibetans. I chose law school because I thought I could make a difference with Human Rights. But, I quickly realized that the life of an attorney did not fit my personality. Thereafter, I returned to my hometown, vulnerable to quick and logical career suggestions. My mother, a nurse, suggested that I return to my medical roots and become a nurse through an accelerated BSN program. I thought it was a great idea at the time because I thought about the last time I felt accomplished and loved what I was doing: Conducting research to help Tibetan former political prisoners with PTSD coping mechanisms. That’s health related, right? Despite the health field correlation, after two years of classes and nine plus months of experience in a hospital, I knew that I would not be truly happy confined in hospital walls every day. I know now that I need to do what I am good at and what makes me happy: International Development.

I am excited to embark on this next chapter in my life: Serving in the Peace Corps in Senegal, West Africa. I hope to become fluent in French and in my assigned local language. I am looking forward to learning new cultural skills and values. And, I anticipate learning cross-cultural competencies that will assist me in my career when I return the United States. Moreover, I will aspire to teach the Senegalese what it is to be an American, and vice versa, by being the best Ambassador that I can be.

I know that I have the ability to establish successful human relations on all levels, so I look forward to connecting with my new community. I have patience, sensitivity, and a positive professional attitude, which are some of the key attributes of a successful PCV. I am aware that it will take immense organization and drive to promote new ideas and development, but I am a quick and eager learner that will have no trouble learning any skills that I do not already possess. I am a team player, but I also excel at working independently making me an ideal Peace Corps Volunteer.

Thank you for you this opportunity!

Sincerely,

Jennifer M. Lowe