Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Transitions


The road to becoming a Peace Corps is longer than advertised.

While working as an SCA intern at Mt. Rainier National Park in 2008, the idea of becoming a Peace Corps volunteer was planted in my mind (in fact, I remember the exact spot in the Fred Meyer parking lot I was sitting in when my friend told me she wanted to serve in the Peace Corps).  A couple years later in my junior year, while sitting in my tiny dorm room in The Village on the UCSC campus, I made the decision to serve.  It wasn’t until April of 2011 that I actually clicked the submit button of the application.  One year and 7 months later, I have sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

The audience of our swearing-in ceremony included Ambassador Wayne accompanied by his wife and several embassy security officers, the entire PC/Mexico staff, several counterparts, including those all the way from Guadualajara (an 8 hour bus ride), and of course, members of our host families.  This swearing in ceremony marked the thirteenth group to swear in and serve in Mexico since the program was established in 2006.  

My Oath:
I do hereby solemnly affirm that as a volunteer of the United States Peace Corps that I, Shayna Atwood, will support the constitution and all laws of both the United States of America and the United Mexican States during my volunteer service in México.

I affirm that I will bear faith and allegiance to the same, that I take this obligation freely, and that I will faithfully discharge my duties to the United States and the México during my period of service.


See photos from our ceremony and the rest of the day here.