Ryan Rodriguez of Antelope Selected for Peace Corps Youth Development Assignment in Ecuador
Peace Corps Volunteer Profile:
Name: Ryan Rodriguez
Age: 23
Hometown: Antelope, Calif.
Current City: Seattle, Wash.
Alma Mater: Seattle University, Social Work, 2010
Country of Service: Ecuador
Assignment: Urban Youth Development
Departure: May 2012
For Immediate Release
WASHINGTON /January 17, 2012/ — Ryan Rodriguez, 23, of Antelope, Calif., has been accepted into the Peace Corps.
Rodriguez will be departing for Ecuador in May, 2012 to begin pre-service training as a Urban Youth Development Peace Corps volunteer.
Rodriguez says he was motivated to join the Peace Corps because, “Ever since high school when I first started volunteering, I would enjoy learning about people of all sorts of backgrounds and personalities. While getting my Bachelor of Social Work, I discovered my passion for working with people to better themselves within society. Social Work has become a part of who I am and how I go about the world. Becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer is a chance to grow as a person and as a professional. I’m excited for this opportunity to share, learn, and grow with new people and in new places.”
During his first three months of service, Rodriguez will live with a host family in Ecuador to become fully immersed in the country’s language and culture. After acquiring the language and cultural skills necessary to assist his host country, he will be sworn into service and be assigned to a community where he will live and work for two years with the local people.
Rodriguez is a 2010 graduate of Seattle University, where he earned a degree in Social Work.
Rodriguez joins the 1,202 California residents currently serving in the Peace Corps and more than 27,913 California residents who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961.
About Volunteers in Ecuador:
More than 5,900 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in Ecuador since the program was established in 1962. Volunteers in this South American nation work in the areas of youth and community development, education and TEFL, environmental and agricultural conservation, HIV/AIDS outreach, and health education. Volunteers are trained and work in Spanish and Kichwa. Currently, 188 Volunteers are serving in Ecuador.
About Peace Corps:
More than 200,000 Americans have served as Peace Corps volunteers in 139 countries since President John F. Kennedy established the agency in 1961.
Through their service, volunteers increase awareness of America around the world and help our country gain an understanding of other cultures beyond our borders. Currently, 9,095 Peace Corps volunteers serve in 75 countries.
Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment. Volunteers live and work with a community overseas to reach goals in education, health, business, agriculture, the environment, youth development and more.
Volunteers receive many benefits, including transportation, a living stipend, medical care, graduate school opportunities, student loan deferment, $7,425 upon completion and much more. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S. citizens, at least 18-years old, and in good health. There is no upper age limit and no cost to participate.
For more information and online applications, please visit www.peacecorps.gov.
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Media Contact: Melanie Forthun of Peace Corps, 206-239-6603 or mforthun@peacecorps.gov.
