Peace Corps Kid
By Taylor Gale Beauregard (Paraguay 2004-2007)
I was a Peace Corps kid. I learned at an early age that it was my dream and destiny to be a Peace Corps Volunteer. It was 1987 and the movie Dirty Dancing had just come out. I fell in love with the dancing (dirty and not-so-dirty), the music (the movie takes place in the 1960s), and the characters. My favorite character was Baby, who was vacationing with her family in New York's Catskill Mountains. Baby learns to dance, she falls in love and, most importantly (to me), she expresses her dream to help others by becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer. Ever since I saw that movie, the Peace Corps has been a goal of mine.
Mr. Lesser, my sixth-grade teacher, was another inspiration for me to become a Peace Corps Volunteer. It all started when, for a homework assignment, I wrote a letter to the Peace Corps headquarters in Washington, D.C. Months passed and my family took its own vacation to Washington, D.C. We visited all the sites and, of course, Peace Corps headquarters. Back then, security wasn't such a big deal, and ordinary people could just walk into government buildings. My parents and I picked up a bouquet of tulips from a street vender and walked into the organization that had held (and still holds) my respect and admiration. We were greeted as if we were visiting diplomats from a far-off country. Staff invited us in and, as we were led down a corridor, I recognized my handwriting on the wall. Unbelievably, my own letter had been framed and was hanging on the Peace Corps Headquarters' wall! As if seeing my letter wasn't enough, staff took my picture and gave me two brand-new books and a Peace Corps pin, which, after 19 years, is still pinned next to my Peace Corps patch on my backpack. If the story couldn't get any more outrageous, the then Peace Corps Director Loret Miller Ruppe happened to call the office and I got to speak with her. Have you ever had one of those moments when you just know that the fates are handing you your destiny? It was as though someone were waving a flag in front of my face and yelling, "Taylor, listen up! Help others! Join the Peace Corps!"
Growing up, I did volunteer trash pick ups alongside my parents and organized numerous canned-food drives for the disadvantaged. Thanks to my parents, who were both travel agents and love exploring the world, I have inherited a love for both service and travel. They set a strong example through their own community service work and their open minded and nonjudgmental natures. In college I pursued a degree in International Relations with a minor in Spanish and volunteered serving meals to the underprivileged. Throughout high school, college, and all my time volunteering, I was excited for when the Peace Corps would send me around the world to learn another language and culture, meet new people and give me the opportunity to help others.
