Saludos a todos! Hello everyone!
My name is Beatrice McDermott and I'm a Peace Corps Volunteer serving in the Dominican Republic. I'm 23 years old, and I call Bethesda, Maryland my hometown. My parents live a few miles outside of Washington D.C. with our rescue dog, Sugar, and my brother is a college student in Maryland. I studied English Writing and Sustainability at the University of Pittsburgh and decided to apply for the Peace Corps, a lifelong dream of mine after I graduated from school in 2022. I was accepted as a Literacy Promoter in the DR (Dominican Republic). Currently, I work at a rural school helping kids learn how to read and write in Spanish.
The Peace Corps has a long and storied history. It was founded by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 after young Americans asked for a way to serve their country without going to war. Today, volunteers serve in countries all around the world, committing to two years of service in their host community. Volunteers work on projects related to health, agriculture, education, and much more. As an education volunteer, I work at my town’s Escuela Basica, which is a combined elementary and middle school. My town is very small - it has a population of less than 500 people!
