Congratulations Junior Leyba-Corporan! Peace Corps Volunteer in China

In late June, International Studies major Junior Leyba-Corporan (2014) will travel to China to teach English to university students through the Peace Corps program. He is looking forward to immersing himself in a new culture, having the ability to travel in and explore a part of the world that is new to him, and having the ability to effect lasting change.

Since his freshman year, Junior knew that he wanted to travel the world and help different communities in whichever way he could. After he attended Peace Corps presentations on campus and got to know a fellow RA who also went into the Peace Corps, Junior decided to apply for the program himself. "If you're thinking about it, go for it" is his advice for people considering the Peace Corps after graduation.

The application process went smoothly for Junior, though he advises fellow students to apply early and pay attention to application deadlines because they can go by very quickly. Upon arriving in China, Junior will stay with a host family for three months in order to learn first-hand about Chinese culture and customs, and get assimilated into the Chinese way of life. From there, he will move to a university to teach English for 24 months. Through his time in the Peace Corps, Junior hopes to connect what he's learned in the classroom with real-life experience. "I'm really excited to do something I'm proud of myself for." For more information about the Peace Corps and how to apply, please click here.