Student survives 23-page application, earns spot in Peace Corps

UCO senior Jeff Glenn was accepted to the Peace Corps in January as a Primary Teacher Training Volunteer in Mongolia.

Glenn, general studies major with a minor in English, said he knew he wanted to apply for the Peace Corp after watching a documentary on China his first year of college.

"I'm really excited about going to Mongolia. I'm just counting the days until May," he said. Glenn leaves on May 31 and will be gone for 27 months.

A Primary Teacher Training Volunteer means he will be showing people how to be teachers. The teachers-in-training will be watching Glenn on his methodologies and mentoring skills. Glenn will also be doing HIV/AIDS awareness training and teaching English as a second language.

Glenn applied May 2007 and has since then gone through an extensive application process. To begin, he filled out a 23-page application online.

Next, he was called for an interview and drove to Dallas where the interviewer told him he would be a good match for the Peace Corp. The longest part of the application process, Glenn said, was the medical examinations.

"I didn't know where I was going until January," Glenn said. The Peace Corp will be paying Glenn according to what he would make as a professional in his own state.

On May 31, 2008, he will be leaving for orientation, which will be located in the U.S. On June 3, he will fly to Mongolia to do pre-service training for 3 months. There he will learn culture, language and specifics on what he will be doing.

Mongolia is located between Russia and China. The language is Mongolian and Glenn is most nervous about learning the new language.

Glenn said his family has been supportive of his decision to join the Peace Corp. He will get to use phone cards, but his main source of communication will be over the Internet.

"One part that will be different is coming back and noticing how much we over-indulge," Glenn said. Returning from his trip, he hopes to come back with a new appreciation of his life and what he has.

"I have been blessed to be able to get an education and I want to give that to someone else," Glenn said. "I look forward to the opportunity to use my knowledge, experiences and skills to help people on the other side of the world. I have wanted to spend time teaching overseas since my first year in college; I am very excited that the Peace Corp is giving me the opportunity to fulfill one of my goals in life."