Wednesday, July 30, 2008

You Have Been Nominated

I finally received an E-Mail from my recruiter about a week ago with this title. That's right, folks, I have been nominated to serve as a volunteer! It was such a relief to hear from the Peace Corps, especially since a month passed between my interview and nomination. But now, it seems that my application is complete and it's time to proceed with this arduous and gradual process.

I guess I should explain what a nomination means, for those of you unfamiliar with the recruiting process. Basically, my recruiter matched my skills and experience with a specific program and she recommended me for that program, in this case the Women in Development with Business. I haven't seen the official letter with my nomination, however I will post the details of that letter sometime this week.

The next steps in the recruiting process involve three parts: medical qualification, legal qualification, and suitability screening, and this phase, apparently, takes the longest. As my recruiter explained, they have to make sure that the country a volunteer serves in can accommodate his or her medical needs. Luckily, I don't really have any serious medical problems, and I have already passed the legal qualification (was there any doubt?), so I'm hoping that this process won't take as long as they say.

So, I basically plan on using this blog to inform my friends and family about what's going on. I know that there are many questions, and the most common one I get is, "Where are you going?" I can honestly say, at this point, I have no idea. And I won't know for sure until I receive my formal invitation, which is the last step in this procedure. But if anyone has any questions about me, the recruiting process, or the Peace Corps in general, please feel free to E-Mail me (kmcaldwe@gmail.com) or leave me a comment here.

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion." ~Dalai Lama

If you're interested in learning more about the Peace Corps, visit www.peacecorps.gov.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm so happy for you! You should have some great stories. I'm gonna miss gchatting with you though :(

Emily said...

oh my gosh yay Katie! waiting is no fun though. but congrats on your nomination

Susan C said...

Hurrah Katie! We are so proud of you! Now the fun begins...

Love,
Mom & Dad

Grandma said...

Dearest Katie: My first grandchild. I am so proud of you for all your accomplishments and your nomination into the Peace Corps. This will definitely be a life-changing experience for you and I hope it's positive. I pray for your safety and your work with the African people. God bless you and I love you sincerely. Grandma