Peace Corps Volunteers come to service with a wide variety of skills, perspectives and life experiences.

From rural villages to busy cities, women are the backbone of society. They are health care professionals, local organizers, inventive entrepreneurs, sustainability-minded farmers and dedicated educators.

I live in a rural mountain community on the border of the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

I applied to the Peace Corps thinking about my mom, who has always been a source of inspiration to me.

What follows is a sketch of an "average" day in my life as a community economic development Volunteer in the rural Dominican Republic.

¿Hablas español? Use your language skills as you live, learn and serve in a community overseas.

Around the globe, Peace Corps Volunteers work with local counterparts to design and implement safe, affordable and sustainable water and sanitation projects.

As a Peace Corps Volunteer, you'll likely have the chance to learn a new language during service — and you never know where that will lead you.