“When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing -- then we truly live life.” -Greg Anderson
There were specific questions asked...A thru E. These are my answers. It may be wordier than they wanted but if you know me, it's just about right. LOL!! I would love your feedback. BTW...this statement is being sent to Mali as an introduction and letting them know what experience I bring with me to their country.
ASPIRATION STATEMENT
Clare Francavilla
Country of Service: Mali
Departure: January 31, 2011
We all aspire to do things in our life. These things can be simple, achievable goals, or they can be dreams of grandeur. No matter how achievable or reasonable an aspiration may seem, there will almost always be limitations. Limitations that need to be overcome when possible to reach these aspirations.
A. My dream of grandeur was to join the Peace Corps and in some large or small way make a difference in the world…even if it is just the world of one person, 10 people or a small village. This dream began about 15 years ago. I have been waiting and volunteering and educating myself since then. When the time finally came for my dream to come true I would be ready. I am ready and my time has come!! I have been volunteering with the American Red Cross in disaster response and relief. Working as a case manager and tuning my interpersonal skills and ability to work with those in desperate time of need. Through the Alliance for African Assistance and the International Rescue Committee I have become very familiar working with those from other cultures. Learning to embrace the differences in everyone I meet. My experience working with San Diego Hospice has prepared me to work with those in the last stages of their life. The young and old, those affected by HIV and Aids and babies and small children much too young to be faced with the harsh realities of life…and death.
As all of these attributes and experiences are going to be helpful in my endeavors in Mali, I feel that my interpersonal experience and my experience as an instructor/trainer both in and out of the health field will be most valuable. When you are knowledgeable about the information you are passing along and you have the ability to do it in a way that make others want to listen to you it can be easy to make a difference. Some of my goals for my time in Mali are to see more women and babies going into the health centers for needed medical attention and vaccinations. To help promote the awareness of HIV and Aids and how to avoid contraction and spread of these illnesses that take so many lives unnecessarily. To pass along information about malaria and prevention methods. I look forward to helping out in the health center as well.
B. No matter your education, your experience, or your title it is important to get along with everyone and for everyone to work effectively together to accomplish your work mission. I believe that everyone in the Peace Corps, other volunteer organizations and local personnel all hope to accomplish the same goals in Mali.
Effective relationships, work or otherwise, form the foundation for success and satisfaction with our jobs, careers and even in our personal lives. With all the life experience I have here in the states I know there is so much more for me to learn to be effective in Mali. I am sure that everyone I will be working with has talents, skills and experiences that I will be able to learn and grow from that will help me fulfill the goals of the team as well as my personal goals. I am funny and personable but will also take my work in Mali very seriously. I am capable of doing anything that is asked of me. I have always had stellar relationships with the people that I work with and I have much to contribute to the success of the program. I am looking forward to meeting and working with new people and getting to know everyone.
C: During my employment with the American Red Cross I received basic Cultural Diversity Training. I have been in many situations during my time in a Disaster Response role and in my time with the International Rescue Committee and Alliance for African Assistance to work closely with other cultures from all walks of life. In my position as a manager with DataQuick I was required to travel, train and maintain a relationship with partnering Data Entry companies internationally. All of these experiences have been good preparation for my ability to work with new cultures. I have grown to appreciate and respect people for who they are. Every person from all cultures I have had the pleasure of meeting has contributed in some way to the person that I am today. I believe that if we all learn to be tolerant of each other and respect people for who they are the world will be a quieter place. I’m excited about living among another culture.
D: Although I have a significant amount of cultural diversity training, I am hoping to get more training specific for the area and people that I will be serving during my time in the Peace Corps. As well, during pre-service training, I am looking forward to learning a new language. I have a good French language base thanks to the two semesters I took in the local community college and the studying I have been doing since then. By the time I get to Mali I’m planning to have completed the language lessons for Bambara that are posted on the Peace Corps website and the other lessons that I have found on the internet. But nothing will be as useful as the immersion training I am hoping to get once in-country. I am also looking forward to getting more specific information about my position as a Health Education Extension Agent. The more information that I can get before moving on to my new home for the next 27 months the more useful I will be for the people I am there to serve as well as the people I am there to serve with.
E: When it is time for me to return home after my service in Mali has been completed, I hope to be able to use the work that I will have done there and the experience both personally and professionally to move forward with a new career. I plan on taking advantage of the non-competitive job search within the federal government being offered. I would like to think that I will be able to use my experience working in the health centers and as an instructor in the field in family planning promotion, HIV and Aids awareness, child wellness, pre- and post-natal care and general health education within my own community in the states to educate our children. I would like to work within the underserved communities and refugees specifically. I will also be researching my option to move forward within the Peace Corps. Possibly extending my service time or moving into Peace Corps response.
I have always wanted to work in the field and work within the underserved communities. I imagine that living and serving in another country will only whet my appetite towards such service and inspire me to want to do more. These 27 months is just the beginning of my service.
Thank you for inviting me to serve in your country. It is wonderful to feel one’s purpose, one’s values, one’s confidence and self respect…I am honored.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Paperwork and more paperwork...
In the packet I received with my official assignment and official "invitation" was the process by which I needed to "accept" or "decline" that inviation. I had 10 days to send an e-mail stating my name, selected job title, country of service and notification that I accept their invitation. I got that together that night and sent the e-mail off in the morning. Once they recieved the notification I got a whole other set of instructions of stuff that needs to be done in the next 10 days.
I had to fill out all the passport and Visa paperwork and send that in. Pictures and forms and signatures. DONE!! I had to update my resume in a specific format. DONE!! Now, I have to write an aspiration statement. What aspirations I hope to fulfill during my service, adapting to a new culture, what I hope to gain to carry with me in the future and how my service will influence my personal and professional life after my service ends. These are all things I feel but just can't seem get to come out in a professional, intelligent manner. No matter what I write I sound like a babbling moron. Like I'm answering my Miss America question. "I hope for peace...If I could change just one person...blah, blah, blah". How do you put what's on the inside on the outside. I think I'll look at it again in the morning. In the meantime, here I am.
If you all are anything like me, when you heard "Mali" your first thought was "where the heck is Mali". I knew it was in West Africa only because I've been preparing myself for which country I thought I could be going to and Mali was one of them. Here's a couple of maps to give you a good idea. Mali is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. The green area in the picture on the right is where most of the population of Mali reside. The brown area is the Sahara Desert. I will not be there!!
Three main seasons which vary according to latitude. Rainy season runs between June and October, diminishing further north. The cooler season (October to February) is followed by extremely hot, dry weather until June.
Hope you enjoy some of these pictures. Soon they will be from my camera!!
Grand Mosquee in Djenne, Mali - the largest mud structure in the world.
Well it says I will probably be living in a mud/adobe home with a thatched roof. I'm guessing this is a pretty average village scene.
Sunset over the Niger River
Market day.
I'm feeling more and more inspired to get back to trying to write my aspiration statement. Can I just use these pictures and write, simply, "Do I need any other reasons?"
I had to fill out all the passport and Visa paperwork and send that in. Pictures and forms and signatures. DONE!! I had to update my resume in a specific format. DONE!! Now, I have to write an aspiration statement. What aspirations I hope to fulfill during my service, adapting to a new culture, what I hope to gain to carry with me in the future and how my service will influence my personal and professional life after my service ends. These are all things I feel but just can't seem get to come out in a professional, intelligent manner. No matter what I write I sound like a babbling moron. Like I'm answering my Miss America question. "I hope for peace...If I could change just one person...blah, blah, blah". How do you put what's on the inside on the outside. I think I'll look at it again in the morning. In the meantime, here I am.
If you all are anything like me, when you heard "Mali" your first thought was "where the heck is Mali". I knew it was in West Africa only because I've been preparing myself for which country I thought I could be going to and Mali was one of them. Here's a couple of maps to give you a good idea. Mali is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. The green area in the picture on the right is where most of the population of Mali reside. The brown area is the Sahara Desert. I will not be there!!
The climate is alot like San Diego in the summer...all year round...and with more rain in some months than we get in a year...but other than that...
Three main seasons which vary according to latitude. Rainy season runs between June and October, diminishing further north. The cooler season (October to February) is followed by extremely hot, dry weather until June.
Hope you enjoy some of these pictures. Soon they will be from my camera!!
Grand Mosquee in Djenne, Mali - the largest mud structure in the world.
Well it says I will probably be living in a mud/adobe home with a thatched roof. I'm guessing this is a pretty average village scene.
Sunset over the Niger River
Market day.
I'm feeling more and more inspired to get back to trying to write my aspiration statement. Can I just use these pictures and write, simply, "Do I need any other reasons?"
Friday, October 22, 2010
Maybe a little nervous...
Everyone keeps asking me if I'm feeling nervous now that it's becoming a reality. Now that I know for sure that I'm finally getting to be in the Peace Corps, that I'll be living in another country, I'll be moving away from my family and friends. NO!! I'm not nervous. I've been waiting for this for yeeaarrrssss!! I am above nervous and more excited than I've been about anything since having children.
Then I start to read through the assignment packet; Mali is predominantly a Muslim country. In behavior and dress they are conservative. Women wear long skirts and keep the upper part of their bodies covered and we recommend that you plan to be similarly attired. Shirts with sleeves, calf-length skirts and dresses for women. Pants can be worn when riding a bike.
Talking about bikes; All volunteers receive a mountain bike to use as their primary mode of personal and work transportation. Your bicycle will provide you with access to villages and other work sites within the target zone as defined by Peace Corps. Typical Volunteer work zones cover up to 25 kilometer radius, often over rough or rocky terrain (don't worry...that's only 15.53 miles...I looked it up!!) BUT it is important to understand that reliance on a bicycle or public transportation will limit to some extent your freedom of movement. Public transportation may only be available a few days during the week, and same-day round trip transportation (e.g., from your village to a larger neighboring town) will probably not be available.
Talking about available; the kinds of food which are available depend on the geography and weather, although your usual diet will consist of boiled rice, corn or millet and a simple sauce. In some areas of the country, fruits and vegetables are not readily available, while in other places, meat is hard to come by. You may only have access to a large market on some days of the week, or to a post office on a monthly or bi-weekly basis.
Talking about water (I know...I just had to throw that in there); I will most likely be posted in a small town or village in the dry, hot countryside of Maili, usually one or two days travel by public transport from Bamako (the capital of Mali). Your house will likely be made of adobe/mud bricks, without electricity or running water.
NO RUNNING WATER... OK...maybe I'm a little nervous.
Then I start to read through the assignment packet; Mali is predominantly a Muslim country. In behavior and dress they are conservative. Women wear long skirts and keep the upper part of their bodies covered and we recommend that you plan to be similarly attired. Shirts with sleeves, calf-length skirts and dresses for women. Pants can be worn when riding a bike.
Talking about bikes; All volunteers receive a mountain bike to use as their primary mode of personal and work transportation. Your bicycle will provide you with access to villages and other work sites within the target zone as defined by Peace Corps. Typical Volunteer work zones cover up to 25 kilometer radius, often over rough or rocky terrain (don't worry...that's only 15.53 miles...I looked it up!!) BUT it is important to understand that reliance on a bicycle or public transportation will limit to some extent your freedom of movement. Public transportation may only be available a few days during the week, and same-day round trip transportation (e.g., from your village to a larger neighboring town) will probably not be available.
Talking about available; the kinds of food which are available depend on the geography and weather, although your usual diet will consist of boiled rice, corn or millet and a simple sauce. In some areas of the country, fruits and vegetables are not readily available, while in other places, meat is hard to come by. You may only have access to a large market on some days of the week, or to a post office on a monthly or bi-weekly basis.
Talking about water (I know...I just had to throw that in there); I will most likely be posted in a small town or village in the dry, hot countryside of Maili, usually one or two days travel by public transport from Bamako (the capital of Mali). Your house will likely be made of adobe/mud bricks, without electricity or running water.
NO RUNNING WATER... OK...maybe I'm a little nervous.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
It's all about timing...
“Life is all about timing... the unreachable becomes reachable, the unavailable become available, the unattainable... attainable. Have the patience, wait it out It's all about timing.” -Stacey Charter
So today I swore that if I did not receive my Peace Corps packet in the mail I was going to contact my Placement Officer. So the mail came and nothing again. AAHHHH!!! I know patience is a virtue, but maybe my virtues are not as fine tuned as they should be. So I am getting ready to pull up my e-mail and all of a sudden my roomate says, "UPS is here. Is anyone expecting anything?" Really!!...UPS?...I've been running to the mailbox everyday waiting and looking and waiting. UPS...who'd of thunk it.
BUT IT'S HERE!!! My friends gather round waiting for me to tear open the untearable plastic envelopes that UPS and FEDEX love to torture us with. "Congratulations! It is with great pleasure that we invite you to begin training in MALI for Peace Corps service. You will be joining thousands of Americans who are building stronger communities around the world. This call to action gives you the opportunity to learn new skills and find the best in yourself."
Even though I knew this was coming, seeing it in writing, official word, is overwhelming. I have been dreaming of this for 15 years. Working so hard for the past 5 years. Can dreams really come true?
"YOUR ASSIGNMENT"
Country: Mali
Program: Health Education
Job Title: Health Education Extension Agent
Dates of Service: April 13, 2011 - April 12, 2013
Orientation Dates: January 31 - February 1, 2011
Pre-Service Training: February 2 - April 12, 2011
(In Mali)
Now I feel like I can finally post my blog. Now it's finally real.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Peace Corps 50th Anniversary
Peace Corps On October 14, 2010, Peace Corps celebrated the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's speech at the University of Michigan where the idea of the Peace Corps was first presented.
Experience the call to service then-Senator John F. Kennedy made 50 years ago today at the University of Michigan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydTaoZ9JSGk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4cj1dsdXaY
Experience the call to service then-Senator John F. Kennedy made 50 years ago today at the University of Michigan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydTaoZ9JSGk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4cj1dsdXaY
Still no packet!!
October 19, 2010
I still haven't received my packet. I am on pins and needles waiting. Waiting to find out exactly where and exactly when. Most of the folks that work at the Peace Corps are return volunteers themselves so I know they know how anxious you can get just waiting to hear. I'm trying to be patient and I know that all good things are worth waiting for. But ....AHHHHHH!!!! I'm 15 years in waiting to hear. Maybe I'll e-mail my placement officer. If nothing else maybe he can tell me when I should be expecting the packet. Maybe it's too soon and running to the mailbox everyday isn't going to change that. But I don't want to be a pain. OK...if it's not in todays mail I will contact him. Surely I'm not the only person dying to know and bugs them about when and where!!! Right??
I still haven't received my packet. I am on pins and needles waiting. Waiting to find out exactly where and exactly when. Most of the folks that work at the Peace Corps are return volunteers themselves so I know they know how anxious you can get just waiting to hear. I'm trying to be patient and I know that all good things are worth waiting for. But ....AHHHHHH!!!! I'm 15 years in waiting to hear. Maybe I'll e-mail my placement officer. If nothing else maybe he can tell me when I should be expecting the packet. Maybe it's too soon and running to the mailbox everyday isn't going to change that. But I don't want to be a pain. OK...if it's not in todays mail I will contact him. Surely I'm not the only person dying to know and bugs them about when and where!!! Right??
Peace Corps returns to Sierra Leone
I have read stories and only imagined what it would be like to live in Africa away from the comforts of home...the American home. This is the first video clip I've seen that gives a really good idea of what it's going to be like.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/39546419#39546419
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/39546419#39546419
I can barely wait another day!!!
October 7, 2010
Whenever there is a change in your Peace Corps application status they will send you an update notice. You log onto your account with them and you can see what that status is. So after they received my medical paperwork, they updated my status. When I went on line it said, "You medical paperwork has been received." Same for dental, etc. On October 7, 2010 I got my first "official" word that I have been selected to be in the Peace Corps. "Congratulations! You have been invited to become a Peace Corps Volunteer." OMG...It actually is finally going to happen. I am invited to be a Peace Corps Volunteer. I will be leaving in February 2011 and I will be doing what I knew I was meant to do. Health, Community Developement...in Africa. Of course I still have to wait for my invitation in the mail. That packet will contain FINALLY exactly where I will be going, the exact date I will be leaving and more details about what I will be doing. Come on packet!!! Some of the mysteries will finally be solved. Once I get the packet I have 10 days to sign my forms and send them back. Then officially I will be an official Peace Corps Volunteer. I wait for February and then my dream comes true.
Whenever there is a change in your Peace Corps application status they will send you an update notice. You log onto your account with them and you can see what that status is. So after they received my medical paperwork, they updated my status. When I went on line it said, "You medical paperwork has been received." Same for dental, etc. On October 7, 2010 I got my first "official" word that I have been selected to be in the Peace Corps. "Congratulations! You have been invited to become a Peace Corps Volunteer." OMG...It actually is finally going to happen. I am invited to be a Peace Corps Volunteer. I will be leaving in February 2011 and I will be doing what I knew I was meant to do. Health, Community Developement...in Africa. Of course I still have to wait for my invitation in the mail. That packet will contain FINALLY exactly where I will be going, the exact date I will be leaving and more details about what I will be doing. Come on packet!!! Some of the mysteries will finally be solved. Once I get the packet I have 10 days to sign my forms and send them back. Then officially I will be an official Peace Corps Volunteer. I wait for February and then my dream comes true.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Finally...the phone interview
“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” -Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy
I set up my phone interview with my placement officer for Monday, September 13 at 1pm EST. This way it would be 10am here in San Diego. I could sleep in yet be wide awake and all geared up to talk to her. As it turned out my oldest sister had some unexpected surgery on her leg on Friday, July 30th. Since she was home alone during the day and was needing to get back and forth to the doctor I offered to fly out to NY for a couple of weeks and chauffeur her around and help around the house. So I left on September 3rd for NY. I figured since the placement officer has my cell phone number it didn't really matter what part of the country I was in, right?
September 13, 2010
1pm my cell phone rings. I am soooo excited. Although it's just a phone call this is the person necessary to see my application to the end. This could determine where and when. This is the person that holds my immediate future in her hands.
We introduce ourselves and get past all the formalities. She tells me this is going to help determine placement for me. Then starts off with some preliminary questions. The first one being "Since the application process takes so long what has kept me motivated these past 1 plus years to still wanting to become a Peace Corps volunteer?" Glad she started out with an easy one. Seriously...this is a dream so long in the making this was an easy question. I told her that my knowing that I was destined to do something big...bigger than most people would dare...started almost 15 years ago. That's when I knew I wanted to go to Africa, that's when I knew that the Peace Corps was going to be the right choice for me. Since I'm a single mom of 2 boys I knew that timing was going to be everything. Obviously I wasn't going to plan to leave before they were both out of high school and both moving on into the next phase of their lives so I could move on into the next phase of mine. I also knew that because I didn't have a college degree I was going to have to do some extra work to have as much life experience as possible to bring to the table. This was a huge Thanksgiving kind of table we're talking about. So 5 years ago I started volunteering. Everything I could think of that would make me a great candidate when the time came.
I first started volunteering with the American Red Cross. I became a CPR/First Aid Instructor. Then moved into doing Disaster Response. I joined a team that if there was a fire in someones home tonight they call the ARC to make sure that this person/family has the three essentials; shelter, food, clothing. Then I moved on to more specific volunteer work. I became a volunteer with the Alliance for African Assistance and The International Rescue Committee. Both agencies working with refugees starting a new life in the US. I was a mentor/tutor. Helping them to find their way around the city, helping them with their English and being their friend in a strange new world. I also volunteered with San Diego Hospice. A tough job, but one that I thought was necessary to add to my skills. When you live in a third world country volunteering with a group that among so many things works in the education of HIV and Aids. And works with those affected with HIV and Aids, in epedemic proportions, I thought it would be beneficial to learn to work with people in the last stages of their lives. Both young and old. Heartbreaking but beneficial.
I was hoping that when the time came for me to begin the application process and to pick the country of my choice that I had wanted to go to Africa. Knowing that there is alot of French speaking countries (francophone)in Africa I decided that the last part of my preparation for this dream to come true was learning French. OHHH LORD..the French. I took 2 semesters at the community college. I passed both semesters...but speak French...really??? I guess I have the basics. I know about as much French as I knew Spanish when I was in high school. Not great but not bad.
In a nutshell, I have been dreaming of this for 15 years and actively working towards it for 5...waiting this past year has been tough because there are so many unanswered questions...will I be a good candidate for the Peace Corps, when will I leave, where will I go...what will I be doing. But, and this is easy to say now, the past year has FLOWNNNN by. My life hasn't stopped while I wait. I've had a job, I've had kids that needed to be taken care of. The youngest one seen through to high school graduation. The oldest one...well that's a whole other blog. My life has been moving and so has time. Waiting through this application process has been the shortest period of time yet in my dream to be a Peace Corps Volunteer. Staying motivated??!!...I get more motivated with every passing day.
If you're wondering if my answer to the PO (placement officer) was this long....Yes, yes it was. Once I get started talking about the Peace Corps, why I'm doing it and what the Peace Corps is about I can't stop. I wanted to stop but words just kept coming. Oh well...she was excited about my enthusiasm!!
There were a couple of other more simple questions, then down to the important stuff. "I read on your application that you initially wanted to work in a program that was health related. HIV and Aids Outreach, etc. Is that still the case?" Yes first and foremost that is what I wanted to do, but it was my understanding that you need a degree to work in the health field...that's why I was recommended for a Business Advising program. She said that this is usually the case. That usually they would require a degree for any health related programs but with my language skills (I'm assuming she means my very lacking french skills) and the fact that they are in dire need of volunteers in the health field that it is possible she could get me in the a health program. WOOOHOOOO...see this is how I stay motivated. It's always good news. She said she was going to talk to some other placement officers that were in health related programs and give me a call back by the end of the week. More waiting..but that's OK. This is what I've wanted to do all along and although I would have done whatever they needed me most to do this is the best news I could have gotten. This is good, good news!!!
Ten minutes later my phone rang and it was my PO. She found a program that she thinks will be a great fit for me. It is in Francophone Africa. It is a Community Development program with a health focus. Community Development could be anything from building homes, a rec center to teaching kids how to play baseball. The health focus will be HIV and Aids Outreach/education. Going out into the field and getting the women into the clinics with their babies...OMG!! This is it. This is what I have been waiting so long for. Now I just need the invitation. Until you get your "invitation" anything can happen or change. I am not officially a Peace Corps Volunteer until the invitation comes. It should be 2-3 weeks. I'm on the edge of my seat. I know a watched pot never boils but I will be watching that mailbox. 15 years of dreaming...and it all comes down to waiting 2-3 weeks for the mail...
OK this is better!!
August 31, 2010
Well the previous e-mail from the Peace Corps said it would be 2-3 weeks before I heard from my placement officer to make an appointment for a phone interview to figure out an alternative placement plan...yet...that e-mail came the same day. Whether that means anything or not I don't know but it feels better than having to wait. I take back my blah, blah, blah inpatience.
Although I keep saying I joined the Peace Corps and I'm going to Africa, nothing is really final until I have my invitation in hand...which won't happen until they find placement for me. So this phone interview is pretty important...
Hello Clare,
I am your Placement Officer at Peace Corps. I am currently considering your application for placement. I would like to arrange a 30-minute phone interview with you to complete the final evaluation of your application and discuss alternate placement options. Please let me know a day and time beginning Tuesday, September 14th when you would be available for a phone interview and the best number at which to reach you. I am available Monday through Friday between 9:30am to 5:30pm EST.
Thank you,
Obviously I contacted her back asap to set up my interview. September 13, 1pm Eastern time. I will wait patiently until then. Yeah right...patience is definitely not my virtue.
Well the previous e-mail from the Peace Corps said it would be 2-3 weeks before I heard from my placement officer to make an appointment for a phone interview to figure out an alternative placement plan...yet...that e-mail came the same day. Whether that means anything or not I don't know but it feels better than having to wait. I take back my blah, blah, blah inpatience.
Although I keep saying I joined the Peace Corps and I'm going to Africa, nothing is really final until I have my invitation in hand...which won't happen until they find placement for me. So this phone interview is pretty important...
Hello Clare,
I am your Placement Officer at Peace Corps. I am currently considering your application for placement. I would like to arrange a 30-minute phone interview with you to complete the final evaluation of your application and discuss alternate placement options. Please let me know a day and time beginning Tuesday, September 14th when you would be available for a phone interview and the best number at which to reach you. I am available Monday through Friday between 9:30am to 5:30pm EST.
Thank you,
Obviously I contacted her back asap to set up my interview. September 13, 1pm Eastern time. I will wait patiently until then. Yeah right...patience is definitely not my virtue.
Dear applicant...blah, blah, blah
August 31, 2010
Dear applicant,
I want to inform you that the Placement Office was unable to extend you an invitation to the program to which you were nominated. This is not uncommon as Peace Corps recruits approximately two applicants for every
one volunteer slot to ensure that enough applicants are available for placement. Additionally, some applicants do not receive medical clearance for the specific country to which they were nominated.
I am currently working on identifying new programs for you and a number of other applicants to whom invitations were not extended. Over the next three to four weeks I will be getting in contact with each of you to complete your final evaluations and discuss the timing of new placement options. Please note that a few options remain for placement in a December-departure Small Business, Francophone African program. However a number of applicants who did not receive invitations to your program will be placed in programs departing in the January to March 2011 time period.
Thank you for your patience. I look forward to speaking with you soon.
Sincerely,
Dear applicant,
I want to inform you that the Placement Office was unable to extend you an invitation to the program to which you were nominated. This is not uncommon as Peace Corps recruits approximately two applicants for every
one volunteer slot to ensure that enough applicants are available for placement. Additionally, some applicants do not receive medical clearance for the specific country to which they were nominated.
I am currently working on identifying new programs for you and a number of other applicants to whom invitations were not extended. Over the next three to four weeks I will be getting in contact with each of you to complete your final evaluations and discuss the timing of new placement options. Please note that a few options remain for placement in a December-departure Small Business, Francophone African program. However a number of applicants who did not receive invitations to your program will be placed in programs departing in the January to March 2011 time period.
Thank you for your patience. I look forward to speaking with you soon.
Sincerely,
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