Life is Calling – How Far Will You Go?

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By Ronald A. Tschetter
Director of the U.S. Peace Corps

As director of the Peace Corps, it has been my honor to meet Peace Corps Volunteers all over the world and to see firsthand the remarkable dedication, passion, and skill they bring to serving others.  The work of Peace Corps Volunteers builds on a legacy that has become a significant part of America’s history.  In 1961, President John F. Kennedy called Americans to serve in the Peace Corps.  Now, 46 years later, over 187,000 Americans have answered President Kennedy’s call and helped improve the lives of millions of people around the world and at home.

My wife, Nancy, and I were Peace Corps Volunteers in India from 1966 to 1968. We were in our 20s, recent college graduates, and newlyweds. We spent two years living and working with the people of India, learned to speak the local language, and learned to appreciate Indian culture and the values of the people. 

While Nancy and I were young, we had the privilege of serving in India with some more experienced, retirement-age Volunteers—what we now are calling “50-plus.” We served with Lillian Carter, former President Carter’s mother, and other dynamic 50-plus people like Dorothy Bradley, Mabel Yewell, and Evangeline Shuler.  I know from my own interaction with these remarkable individuals that younger Volunteers look up to older ones.  We admired, listened to, and learned from them because of their vast life experience and maturity. I believe that today’s younger Volunteers can also benefit from and enjoy their relationships with 50-plus Volunteers. 

Peace Corps Volunteers age 50 and over are valuable assets to the Peace Corps’ mission because of their extensive experience.  Edward Raupp, a former Volunteer in the Republic of Georgia said, “At 66, I have a fairly broad range of work and academic experiences that may prove helpful.  As an older Volunteer, I have both the advantage of some initial respect and the responsibility inherent in maintaining – and increasing – that respect.”

Volunteers of all ages in the Peace Corps today are working in the areas of business development, education, youth and community development, agriculture and the environment, health, and HIV/AIDS.  The Peace Corps prepares Volunteers with extensive language, technical, and cross-cultural awareness training.

For 50-plus Volunteers, the benefits of serving in the Peace Corps go beyond making a difference in other people’s lives.  The Peace Corps offers meaningful work opportunities and a wonderful way to experience living in other parts of the world.  Hundreds of current Volunteers have found retirement and other life transitions the perfect time to realize their dream of joining the Peace Corps. 

Diana Gomez, a former Volunteer in Armenia, said, “I joined the Peace Corps when I was 56 years old, and it was like being born again, like having a second life.  I enjoyed my work in the United States very much, but as I got older, I began to think less about ’me‘ and more about ’we.’ I love working for the Peace Corps; I feel like I’m doing something for the world, for the planet.”

While serving in the Peace Corps, Volunteers receive complete medical coverage, including prescriptions, vaccinations, and dental care at medical units in each country.  Service in the Peace Corps does not affect a retiree’s Social Security benefits, nor does it affect a Volunteer’s civil service or military service pension.  During a Volunteer’s 27 month period of service, the Peace Corps provides a monthly living allowance and vacation days.  And post-service, Peace Corps provides an adjustment allowance, along with access to career centers and workshops.

I realize that there are obstacles and challenges to serving in the Peace Corps, particularly as a 50-plus person, but I can assure you that the rewards are great.  Nancy and I believe that our time in the Peace Corps was one of the most rewarding experiences we’ve ever had. Our lives were forever enriched through our new friends, and by understanding a new culture in a country so far from home.  There is arguably nothing more important in life than serving others, and we will always cherish our Peace Corps experience and the difference we believe we made in the lives of others.

I hope you’ll consider the possibility of becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer.  For more information, visit www.peacecorps.gov, or request more information and talk to a recruiter by calling 800.424.8580.

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