
Jody Olsen first heard of the Peace Corps during a presentation from a recruiter attending a sorority dinner. The following day she informed her fiancé that they were going to join the Peace Corps and 18 months later they were headed to Tunisia. Almost 50 years after her service ended, she was sworn in as the 20th Director of Peace Corps. This is her story.
This week, I talk with Jody Olsen about her service, career, and the meandering way she found her self to being the current director of the U.S. Peace Corps.
 
Jody Olsen, Tunisia 1966-1968
 
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Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen, Tunisia 1966-1968

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On March 15, the Peace Corps announced it would temporarily suspend Volunteer operations and begin evacuating Volunteers from all posts due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On this episode, five volunteers share their story of evacuation in the time of coronavirus.
 
Resources:
Facebook Page for COVID Evacuation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PeaceCorpsCOVIDevacuationsupport/
Peace Corps Headquarters COVID Page: https://www.peacecorps.gov/coronavirus/
National Peace Corps Association: https://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/articles/new-action-to-congress-protect-peace-corps-and-support-evacuees 
 
 
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The Peace Corps Coronavirus Evacuation


Happy National Peace Corps Week! This episode marks the return of the My Peace Corps Story podcast. After taking a few months off, I’m starting the show up again. The show will now be a monthly podcast for the time being. If I feel that I have the time, I’ll happily increase the frequency to two or more episodes a month but I’d hate to overcommit and fall short.
This week, in honor of National Peace Corps Week, I would like to share three speeches from President John F. Kennedy. As you likely already know, JFK founded the Peace Corps in 1961. In this episode you’ll hear JFK’s address to Congress on Executive Order 10924, which established the Peace Corps. Following that clip, I found an awesome promo video about the Peace Corps with a fireside chat speech from Kennedy. Rounding out the episode, I have a 1962 speech that JFK delivered to a group of 600 Peace Corps volunteers on the south lawn of White House. I hope you enjoy them.
Again, happy Peace Corps Week!
 
 
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Happy National Peace Corps Week – Return of the Podcast


After 27 months of the My Peace Corps Story podcast, I’m closing this chapter of the podcast. The podcast isn’t over though. I plan to come back to the show with a new format. Producing weekly podcasts was an ambitious undertaking but immensely rewarding. I thank each and everyone of you, whether you were a guest or listener or both. Thank you for all those 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts. Thank you for the shares, likes, and reposts. Thank you for the comments and most importantly thank you for the criticism. It has been my pleasure to help share so many amazing stories over the past two years.
In the coming months, as I take some time off, please continue to share the show. I would especially appreciate it if you help recruit new people to interview. If you know someone who has an great story, please sent them here: Share Your Story.
Remember, every volunteer has a story. What’s yours?

    


COSing – Tyler Lloyd, Peace Corps Podcast Host


Inspired by a former teacher, Katie set off to Peace Corps for an adventure and a chance to prove herself. She did both and more. This week, I talk with Katie McNamara about her time in Namibia, a country that’s twice the size of California while also being the second least densely populated place on earth.
Photos from Katie’s Service
Katie McNamara’s Peace Corps Story
Where and when did you serve? What did you do?
I served in Namibia from 2016 to 2018 as a math and science teacher in a rural village in one of the northern regions of Owamboland.
What is one of your favorite Peace Corps memories?
During my training I was given the local name ‘Nelago’ which means lucky, which happened to be the same name as the principal of my school that I was assigned to. When I first arrived at school my Principal was on leave and I introduced myself at assembly in front of 700 students in the local language and told them my given Wambo name and basically the whole village laughed at me. First because… they couldn’t believe I could speak their language (or I just sounded funny) and second.. they were going to start calling me ‘Principal Nelago’. It was the most embarrassing and awesome moment that really made me dive right into my new community head first.
What is one of your least favorite Peace Corps memories?
I had a dog named Lucy who followed me everywhere and I loved her companionship… but so did many other male dogs, so she got pregnant. She had five adorable puppies on my birthday and it was very hard to watch her neglect them and have one of them not survive and I had to bury it. Definitely not a challenge I was expecting to have in the Peace Corps.
What do you miss about Peace Corps?
I miss hanging out with my colleagues in the staff lounge dancing to ‘Omunye’ before school!
What is something you learned in the Peace Corps?
Never have expectations and get used to ‘Africa time’… it’s real. I learned PATIENCE.
Do you have a favorite quote or local saying that you’d like to share?
Tangi unene/ tangi unenenenenenene/ iyaloooo shiliiiii – those are all basically how you say thank you very very very much!
 
Learn more about Katie’s service: https://katiepcnamibia.wordpress.com/
 
 
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Teaching in the Bush – Katie McNamara, Namibia 2016-18



 
Photos from Randy’s Service

 
Randy Hobler’s Peace Corps Story
Where and when did you serve? What did you do?
Served in Libya from October 1968 thru most of October 1969. I, like all my colleagues, was a TEFL (Teaching English as a Second Language) teacher. Almost all of us were teaching 5th Grade.
What is one of your favorite Peace Corps memories?
In country memories are those that repeat…all the wonderful meals served by villagers to me so many times.
What is one of your least favorite Peace Corps memories?
When a barber in Tripoli was shaving my neck with a straight razor and cut both sides of my neck till it started bleeding.
What do you miss about Peace Corps?
The camaraderie during training. The interaction with villagers, very stimulating and fun.
What is something you learned in the Peace Corps?
Many things, but three big lessons were 1) To understand your own country, you have to leave it; 2) it’s only leaders who cause conflict and war, no one person on earth has any quarrel with any other and 3) the incredible brainwashing the American media has foisted upon the U.S. in terms of Israel.
 
 
 
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Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen, Tunisia 1966-1968

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