JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville native is preparing to join one of the first group of Peace Corps volunteers returning overseas since a mass evacuation of volunteers three years ago due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Emma Bradley was born right here in Jacksonville and taught at a local school before applying for service with the Peace Corps. She says growing up and teaching in the area fueled her love for education and giving back.
"I'm kind of freaking out now that I'm getting closer. But I just knew it was something that I've always wanted to do," Bradley said.
After graduating from Auburn University last year, and then teaching at St. Paul's Catholic school in Jacksonville Beach, Emma Bradley knew she wanted to take her love for teaching overseas.
"When you go to other countries, and you get to experience their culture and the way that they live, and how it varies from us, but then also how it's very similar to ours," Bradley said. "I think, what I'll probably experience as the biggest change, is the change in my priorities. And that's what I'm most excited for."
Bradley's home for the next two years will be Namibia, a country in Southern African. For the first three months, she’ll learn the about the culture from her host family.
"We'll do training, and we'll learn languages and we'll learn more about of the history of Namibia and the people that we are serving and what their lives are like and how we can best serve them," Bradley said.
Bradley will then be assigned to a local school and begin work as an English teacher. She'll join 15 volunteers who are already in Namibia filling in the gaps left by the COVID-19 imposed evacuations.
Volunteers work in the education, health, and community economic development sectors, partnering with communities to create links among schools, parents, and communities. Leaders with the Peace Corps say as of mid-August, there are more than 1,700 volunteers in service at 56 countries.
"If they went too early, they would have been putting a strain on the country we're serving in...I'm looking forward to being one of the first groups and I think it's a very humbling thing to know that with how recent the pandemic was that they still want our help, and they still need our help," Bradley said.
All adult U.S. citizens are eligible to apply for the Peace Corps. Service can range from the traditional two-year experience to the shortened Peace Corps Response volunteering, where the average duration is 10 months. The Response program is for professionals with specialized certifications and advanced degrees. To apply, visit https://www.peacecorps.gov/apply/.