Peace Corps Contact!!

Crazy how excited I am!

I sent in my updated resume earlier (maybe a couple of weeks ago) and changed my departure date (from July 1st to August 1st)

Today I received an email from the Placement Assistance, crazy how the simplest email can have me SUPER excited

I hope this email finds you well.

I am writing from the Peace Corps Placement and Assessment Office where I have recently completed the preliminary review of your file. I would like to request several additional items from you in order to complete your file before I pass it along to your Placement Specialist for a final review. 

1.     Please submit a copy of your final transcript for your bachelor’s degree.  Please make sure the transcript shows:

• Your name
• The name of the institution
• The degree you received and the date it was conferred

It can be an unofficial transcript, as long as it reflects the required information. It can be an unofficial transcript, as long as it reflects the required information. Please email or fax this document to the Business Desk at the number listed (Fax #:202-692-1897). If you intend to email your transcript, please scan it and send it as a PDF. We cannot accept transcripts that have been pasted into an email or a Microsoft Word document.

We will continue with the placement process without your final transcript, but will ultimately need it before you could depart for a potential Peace Corps assignment.  Please do not try to mail the transcript via U.S. Post since it may take as long as a month to get through screening in a federal facility. If you must mail the information, please send it via Federal Express.

In an effort to continue to this process in a timely manner it is greatly appreciated if you respond to the above requests within 1 week.

Within 5 minutes of receiving the email (thank you technology for sending all emails to my phone), I wrote back a response. It pretty much stated that I do not graduate until June 10th and will not be able to send a transcript that shows the date my degree was received until then. I asked if she wanted  an unofficial transcript that just shows the classes I have taken until I get my degree. Can't wait until I get another response :)

There was something else I wanted to tell you guys but forgot :) Enjoy your weekend!!

Update: I remember now!!! Has anyone ever played the Peace Corps game that is supposed to simulate a volunteer's experience. I have! Especially in the beginning of the process. 

Placement Contact

OF COURSE the day I have news to report, blogspot had to be down. I received contract from Placement (on Thursday), unfortunately it wasn't the letter I would have liked to receive. I pasted the letter below:

I am the Placement Officer managing your placement with the Peace Corps. I am sending this email to you in an effort to provide some insight on changes occurring for upcoming Peace Corps programs and their impact on the timing of your placement.

Like many federal agencies, Peace Corps is currently reviewing its operations in light of budget reductions. The on-going review will result in fewer service opportunities available overseas in the remainder of 2011 and in 2012.  Unfortunately, these changes are highly likely to affect your potential placement. Many of our Summer and Fall-departure applicants will be placed in new programs with significant delays in departure dates, as far off as January 2012 or later.  Identifying new placement options for you will require flexibility in terms of geographic preference, assignment preference,  and departure date on your part as another program like the one you were nominated to may not be available. The Peace Corps Placement Office understands and apologizes for the inconvenience the impeding delay may cause our applicants. At this time, we ask that you please let me know if there is any reason that you would not be interested in remaining under consideration for a future program. Please feel free to contact me by email or phone regarding your inability to remain under consideration for Peace Corps service given the new timeframe for departures.

However, should you remain interested in placement, I will be contacting you in the coming months regarding your application. At the moment, the Business Skills desk is currently working to complete the review and placement of applicants nominated to programs previously scheduled to depart in the April to June time periods. As I complete their placements, a Placement Assistant will be in touch with you regarding additional information that may be needed to process your application. Subsequently your application will be passed on to me for a final suitability and skill review to determine the next available program that best fits your skills and qualifications.  It is at this point that I will be able to provide you further details on your specific placement and the timing of upcoming programs.

I would like to thank you on behalf of the Peace Corps for your interest in service and your continued patience. I look forward to working on your placement in the very near future.

I had already thought about what I would do if my placement was extended and had heard from other applicants that budget cuts were affecting programs; therefore it wasn't a big surprise. Of course when you get a letter from Placement, that's not really what you want to read. My first thoughts were "So basically I don't know when I will be leaving and my region country and job assignment may change." But quickly I realized that this was the same thoughts I had before. None of the information we were given was ever guaranteed.  I did not choose the Peace Corps because of a region, program, or time frame. I chose the Peace Corps because I believe in the mission and I know that working with the Peace Corps will help me with my career. (I want to work in the community) Therefore, I will continue on with Peace Corps and just be patient. I had sent in my updated resume earlier and will now just wait until the day when I get the coveted blue packet.

On a different note. I love to watch movies. Usually when I go to the movies with my friend we watch the previews and call out what movies we would want to see.  Lately, when I would watch the previews and see a really cool movie that is going to come out in August (or later) I would get very quiet. Would I be able to watch this movie with my friends? Will I be in the United States? After receiving the letter, I went to watch Thor and noticed a difference. Now, I don't think as much about will I be around when this movie comes out because I have NO idea when I'm leaving. Not even a time frame. So a bit of positivity came out of receiving that letter- less sadness when I watch previews (lol trying to stay positive) Ooo! Another positive note, now I know who my placement officer is!!