A Peace Corps Timeline: From Applicant to Volunteer

I’ve been meaning to post this for a really long time (since training last year) and am finally getting to it. This is really intended for those interested in Peace Corps service and want to know how long the process is, things you need to complete, etc. I want to note that the time frame is different for every applicant – everything here is based on my personal experience. Cheers!

• April 25, 2008: Submitted online application and references to the Peace Corps
• May 10, 2008: Graduated from LMU
• May 15, 2008 (morning): Interview with Shane, Peace Corps recruiter at the Los Angeles Regional Office
• May 15, 2008 (afternoon): Received a call that I was nominated to a French-speaking post in sub-Saharan Africa, expected departure date is June 2009 and the field is Youth Empowerment/Community Development
• Note: nominations can be done this quickly or can take months. It really depends on the recruiter, the skills of the applicant and the needs of Peace Corps posts around the world.
• May 16, 2008: Receive Medical Kit in the mail
• June-August 2008: Traveled with family in the Caribbean and the Philippines for several weeks**
• September 5, 2008: Mailed completed Medical Kit to the Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
• Note: very long and detailed process. It required me to go to the doctor’s office about a dozen times!
• November 7, 2008: Medically and legally cleared for Peace Corps service
• December 15, 2008: Sent in a Skills Set Addendum and official college transcript to the Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
• January 5, 2009: Checked my status online – am officially invited to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer!
• January 10, 2009: Received the huge invitation packet and assignment description in the mail from the Peace Corps – sent to Burkina Faso as a Girls’ Education and Empowerment (GEE) volunteer, slated to leave on June 8, 2009!
• January 15, 2009: Called the Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C. to officially confirm and accept my invitation
• February 10, 2009: E-mailed my Aspiration Statement and Résumé to the Peace Corps Burkina Faso staff
• May 2009: Dentally cleared for Peace Corps service
• June 8, 2009: Fly from San Francisco to Philadelphia for Staging
• June 9-10, 2009: Staging with the 31 other Peace Corps Burkina Faso trainees in Philadelphia
• June 11, 2009: Fly from Philadelphia to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (stopovers in Paris, France and Niamey, Niger [had to stay an extra night in Niamey due to plane problems during refueling])
• June 12, 2009-August 24, 2009: Pre-Service Training (PST) in Ouahigouya, Burkina Faso
• August 25, 2009: Swear-In Ceremony as official Peace Corps Volunteers at the US Ambassador to Burkina Faso’s residence, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
• August 26, 2009-August 2011: Two years of Peace Corps service as a Girls’ Education and Empowerment (GEE) volunteer in Burkina Faso

The Before and After Training Pictures of Peace Corps Burkina Faso, SE/GEE Training Group 2009.

I thought it’d be fun to put a before picture of us during June staging at our hotel in Philadelphia and our after picture of us during the August Swearing-In Ceremony at the U.S. Ambassador’s residence in August. Note that there are a couple of us missing in these photos…but we started as 32 trainees and came out strong as 32 Peace Corps Volunteers!

THE 'BEFORE' PICTURE

June 9, 2009

Staging Event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Peace Corps Burkina Faso Trainees 2009-2011

THE 'AFTER' PICTURE

August 25, 2009

Swearing-In Ceremony at the US Ambassador's Residence, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Peace Corps Burkina Faso Volunteers 2009-2011

The next group pictures? Mid-Service Conference (MSC) in a year and after two years, our Close of Service (COS) group picture! Let's DO this!

Staging in Philadelphia.

For all you non-Peace Corps people out there, "staging" is pretty much like orientation. Think of it as freshman orientation before college -- the awkwardness (and fun) of meeting new people, getting an intro to everything Peace Corps-related, etc.

Staging was the chance to get to know everyone I'd be going to Burkina Faso with for the next two years and three months, PLUS a way to get some good insight into what we'd be doing there...funny to finally meet some of the people I met online at PeaceCorpsConnect.org.

I arrived late Monday night and was talking with my roommate, Coleman, about everything. Finally, someone that could relate to many of the same issues I'd been dealing with for the past year! We had staging the following day and ended up doing dinner/a couple of drinks with a few fellow PC trainees.

The following day (Wednesday) we had to get our yellow fever vaccinations and had a couple of hours to kill until our flights departed later that afternoon. Kristi, one of my good friends from LMU, took a bus all the way from NYC to see me off one last time...and in the span of an hour, we ate at a Japanese restaurant and took pictures by the famous "LOVE" sign! A must-do in Philly!

Kristi and I at the iconic "LOVE" sign in Philly. 

Truly, Kristi is an amazing friend...taking a bus all the way from NYC to see me off one last time. She even brought me Junior's Cheesecake! Whaaaat!

Eventually, we had to part ways. Anywho, I'll leave you with this photo of me and all my excess baggage! It was so heavy. lol

All of my belongings for the next couple of years of my life as a Peace Corps Volunteer!

Communicating with me in Burkina Faso.

Sadly, I have to make this entry short because there are people waiting for the computers...I'm still at Philly and will be leaving in a matter of hours for Burkina Faso! Staging at Philly was good because I got to meet everyone and am getting a good vibe about this group. We come from all over the U.S. (me and another guy are representing California! Haaaay!) so it's all goooood.

I want to write another entry on the most amazing, drunken, cry-fest, laugh-fest farewell weekend but alas, I must save it for another day (hopefully with pictures)!

Anyway, communicating with me in Burkina Faso:

• Blog: http://mikeyberino.blogspot.com
• Check this often! This will be my main way of communicating with you.
• And please comment too!
• Mailing Address (during training): 
• Michael Berino, PCT
  S/c Corps de la Paix
  01 B.P. 6031
  Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso
• When sending letters:
• Always write “Par Avion/Air Mail.”
• Send letters often and please number them so I know if I’m missing something (same goes with packages)!
• Use red ink when addressing my name (apparently, they’re superstitious in West Africa).
• Never mail postcards – put them in envelopes or I will not get them.
• When sending packages:
• Do not be truthful on customs forms! Put “educational materials” or “hygiene products.”
• Use padded envelopes as much as possible to cut the cost of fees on both ends.
• If using a box, use the USPS flat rate boxes.
• E-mail: ---------------
  I’ll try to respond to e-mails. All of this depends on when I have Internet access (once a week, two weeks, month…who knows?). So your best bet to communicate with me is via blog comments and letters!
• Skype: ----------
• Cell Phone: Will let you know when I get one in country (check the blog!); I’ll probably only be able to communicate via texting and if I have reception where I am.

Please remember that training (3 months) will be hectic and busy so if you don't hear from me in a while, please know that I'm okay. Someone said it best when they said in the Peace Corps, "no news (from headquarters) is good news!" So I'll be fine. =)

Again, thanks for all the love and support. Special thanks goes out to all of my loved ones (friends [especially all you cuties that came from LA] and family) that made it out to any of my farewell weekend activities. Truly, I am blessed and only wish the same for everyone else in the world. =)
Lastly, Mom and Dad...this one's for you!