Peace Corps

Peace Corps//2023-2025

From July 2023 to August 2025, I lived and worked in Costa Rica as a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) in the Community Economic Development (CED) program. My primary project focused on supporting entrepreneurship and boosting digital literacy, specifically for women and children. I spent my time leading workshops, collaborating with local partners, and helping community members build skills to access new opportunities. It was a deeply rewarding experience that challenged me, inspired me, and strengthened my commitment to community-driven development. The content of this website is mine alone and does not reflect the views of the U.S. government, the Peace Corps, or the Costa Rican government.

Pre-Service Training (PST)

Pre-Service Training (PST) is an intensive three-month training that Peace Corps Trainees (PCTs) must complete to be able to swear in as official Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs). Over three months, trainees receive intensive language classes as well as program-specific training.

I had my doubts about the Peace Corps. During Pre-Service Training, talking with other trainees helped me see that the program, created in 1961 for world peace and friendship, is basically a form of soft diplomacy. I accepted that and realized that by simply sharing my culture, I was fulfilling one of the three Peace Corps goals. The opportunity to share my unique story with a community and country that requested me was enough for me to stay. It started with 3 months of PST in July 2023.

I lived with a traditional host family and by September we had bonded so much it was hard to leave. The long days learning Costa Rican Spanish and Community Economic Development methods barely left any time to rest. Despite the packed schedule, we found small moments of rest—like mid-morning coffee breaks, afternoon chocobanano runs, and post-session mejengas (pick-up soccer games). On weekends, when not with our host families, I often hiked with fellow cohort members. Those three months forged strong bonds among us trainees, and the friendships we built helped us navigate the challenges of service. I am especially grateful to the in-country Peace Corps staff in Costa Rica who supported us from the moment we landed—well, from the moment we made it through immigration.

Peace Corps Costa Rica celebrated 60 continuous years in Costa Rica in 2023.

Year 1

After some difficult and rushed goodbyes at the swearing in ceremony, I caught a ride up to Sarapiquí. I hit the ground running when I arrived in my community, but at the same time it felt like I was doing nothing.

The abrupt change from a very structured PST to a slow-paced rural life was a shock, as well as being geographically separated from my cohort. I was partnered with the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center (SCLC) or Centro de Aprendizaje para la Conservación en Sarapiquí (CECOS) in Spanish. I spent numerous hours sitting in my host family's blue rocking chair, just staring out the window. I also spent numerous hours in the Learning Center and Library during my first year, observing and supporting all sorts of activities they host. I spent the first 3 months working on a CASA report, a 20 page community assessment completely in Spanish. Even after the completion of the report, I was working to build connections, meet people, and learn as much as possible about the community's wants and needs.

I played in numerous bingos, participated in a multitude of charlas (workshops), and attended many reuniones (meetings). I had several ups and downs in my morale due to homesickness, well-being, and other factors. By leaning into these uncomfortable feelings and not giving up, I was able to start adjusting and adapting to my new lifestyle. In this first year, some projects we got off the ground included computer lab classes such as digital literacy, support for the Community Rural Tourism Program, entrepreneurship workshops, Junior Achievement entrepreneurial competition at the local high school, support for an English Conversation Club, field trips to the library for the local elementary school students, support for a soccer camp, and contributions to the Peace Corps Costa Rica Peer Support Network.

I have LOTS of photos to share from 2023/2024.

In fact, too many. So I have decided to share only one random photo from each month.

Year 2

As the volunteers in cohorts before us said, the last year flies by very fast. Once comfortable and integrated, projects just started flowing and the time started flying. The relationships I built in 2023 and 2024 turned into strong partnerships in 2025, making collaboration smoother and more impactful. I felt more confident taking initiative, and the trust I had gained in the community made a huge difference in how projects were received.

Throughout the year, I worked on projects such as Field Trips to the Library, Peace Corps Costa Rica Radio, Entrepreneurship Workshops, Digital Literacy, and a Perimenopause Seminar, all of which reflected the evolving needs and interests of the community. I also continued to support ongoing efforts like managing the CECOS computer lab and I even got involved in new opportunities, including a Worldwide Climate and Justice Education Week. One highlight was co-facilitating sessions on Marketing and Finances for 35 female entrepreneurs involved with a non-profit called Bricks to Bread. Moments like that reminded me how far things had come since those uncertain early months spent in the blue rocking chair.

I have LOTS of photos to share from 2025.

In fact, too many. Below are just some highlights from the year.

Spoiler -- I swam in the river !

These two years have shaped not only how I see the world, but how I hope to engage with it moving forward. I am grateful for the relationships built, the lessons learned, and the opportunities to contribute in meaningful ways. There is a saying in Sarapiquí, that if you go for a dip in the Sarapiquí River and dunk your head under water, you will never leave Sarapiquí. I can now wholeheartedly say that a part of me will always remain there. The river, the people, and the rhythm of life in Sarapiquí have left a lasting impression on me. And just as a part of me will always remain in Sarapiquí, I will carry a part of Sarapiquí with me wherever I go. My adventures in the bosque tropical (tropical rainforest) have come to an end... for now.