The Process

So I've shared most of my reasons for wanting to join the Peace Corps. One underlying reason I left off is that if I didn't take this opportunity to join the Peace Corps at this point in my life, I would regret it. Regret. For who knows how long. Even if things don't live up to my wildest fantasies, at least I'll be able to say I experienced it and I'll never regret doing so. Especially since I am going to combine an MBA program at the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) with the PC experience. So since I made up my mind to join, here's what happened next:

• March 2009: Start PC application.

• October 2009: Submit MIIS application.

• January 2010: Complete PC application. It doesn't really take 10 months, I spent lots of time considering, reconsidering, and thinking it over.

• February 2010: Start Peace Corps' Master's International Advanced Entry Master of Business Administration (PCMI advanced entry MBA). Yeah, long name. Fortunately, MIIS had a spring start and put me on the advanced track due to my finance degree. Oh, and it's in Monterey, CA.

• March 5, 2010: PC interview.
• March 10, 2010: Nominated for Peace Corps assignments leaving in Jan/Feb/March 2011

• April 2010: Receive medical, dental, and legal forms.

• June 2010: Complete medical, dental, and legal forms.

• October 2010: Follow-up PC interview. I find out I'm headed for Central American in February.

• November 2010: Receive official invitation to serve as Business Advisor in Honduras! Departs February 23.

• December 2010: Complete academic portion of MBA at MIIS.

• February 23, 2011: Staging in Atlanta, GA. Think of it as a welcoming and intensive orientation.
• February 24, 2011: Fly to Tegucigalpa, Honduras to start 3 months of Pre-Service Training (PST). Language, cultural, and technical training. During this time, I'll found out where my real assignment is and get an idea of what exactly I'll be doing.

As you can see, it's a long process. Peace Corps received roughly 10,000 applications each year and sends roughly 40% of them and less than that complete the 27 months of service. The application process itself seems to foreshadow what Peace Corps itself will be like. Things move slowly. There are lots of steps. You have to talk to multiple people. You have to be patient. Maybe they think if you can make it through the application process, you have a chance at surviving the next 27 months of the unknown. But I'll tell you the anticipation never gets old and finding out that I'd be leaving for Honduras was one of the most exciting days of my life.

If you're interested in the Peace Corps, you can check out the Peace Corps page I created (and will update further) or check out www.peacecorps.gov. Remember, it's never too late to join!