From foreign service to global engagement

Hope Carlisle’s journey to the Dominican Republic began with Arizona State University’s Career Services, where she worked as a career peer, someone who works with other students to provide career advice as well as resume and interview assistance. At the time, she was uncertain of where her majors in political science and global studies would take her beyond the university doors. Following the guidance of Christine De La Cerda, assistant director of career management at ASU, Hope was able to explore her skill set to find a career path that resonated with her: working in foreign service.

Exploring the Dominican Republic will not be the first time she has traveled abroad, though. Carlisle’s world opened up when she studied in Madrid, Spain, for six weeks when she was an undergraduate.

“It was culturally immersive. It wasn't as intense as what I'm about to go through, but it really did unlock my love for travel,” Carlisle stated.

Carlisle chose to travel to a Spanish speaking country for her service trip with the Peace Corps. She knew that she wanted to work as an educator, leading her to her placement as a literacy promoter, where she will speak Spanish to her students in the Dominican Republic every day as she encourages them to read.

For the residents of Peace Corps service sites, who often have no familiarity with American culture, Peace Corps representatives serve as a model for what Americans are like, providing a unique opportunity to those contributing service to step into the role of an American ambassador.

“In this community, I'll be a lot of their first experiences with an American,” Carlisle noted. “I'll be putting that projection of America's values onto these individuals, so, I want to make sure that I do it in the best way possible because it's a big deal.” 

After finding a service trip destination that resonated with her, Carlisle began the application process, which required a personal statement describing her interest in joining and a copy of her transcript.

Some find the application process to be intimidating or overwhelming, but there are many resources through ASU’s Career Services to assist students on their journey. Carlisle took advantage of various career exploration assessments. Career Services also offers resume review and one-on-one counseling with a career advisor to gain additional assistance with strengthening your application materials and guidance throughout the process.

Students can also seek out representatives from the Peace Corps to provide more tailored assistance. Career Services hosts various informational sessions for students to make connections with past volunteers and members to gain insight into what the Peace Corps looks for in an applicant. Carlisle even reached out to a representative she found through LinkedIn, who was happy to provide her support and advice throughout the process.

To Carlisle, the most exciting thing about joining the Peace Corps is the opportunity to be fully immersed in another culture. Though the commitment and adjustment period may be nerve-racking, the experience of providing time and service to a community in need is fulfilling enough to inspire Carlisle to move forward.

Thinking ahead to what she’ll do beyond the Peace Corps, Carlisle is ready to follow her bliss. Her time abroad will change her life and enrich her post-graduate experience, and she knows that the future is bound to change.

“A lot of volunteers actually end up staying where they were serving just because they end up loving it down there so much. So, something I'm trying to remember is to not be too committed to whatever is gonna happen. Really just go with the flow,” Carlisle expressed.

For those who are ready to spend their time in service but are uncertain of where to begin, the Peace Corps website offers various resources as well as application materials. In fact, applicants can choose whether to fill out an application for one specific service trip or a general application, allowing the Peace Corps to select your destination.

We will keep in touch with Hope as she embarks on her service trip to the Dominican Republic, so stay tuned to hear more!