Ciara's Macedonia Peace Corps Fund
Donation protected
Hello! As many of you already know, or might have seen, I was recently accepted into the Peace Corps and will be leaving for Macedonia September 13, 2016 (Macedonia is in Southeast Europe). I will be living in Macedonia for 24 months helping their comunities with youth development projects, special education awareness, and other secondary projects.
My Story
During my sophmore year of high school I found out about the Peace Corps and what they do for communities around the world. Ever since that moment I have talked about joining and trying to make a difference, even if it is a small one. However, I did not know what I could personally do to make that difference if I joined the Peace Corps.
As I got older I put the thought of joining on the back burner of my mind and started attending college for special education. During my last year of college when I was trying to figure out what to do with my degree after I graduated, was when the thought of joining came off of the back burner of my mind. In May of 2015 I finally graduated from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale with a Bachelor of Science in special education. I was still unsure about joining and thought that some experience in special education would not only help me decide but, would look good on my application.
Fast forward to September/November 2015 and I finally decided to make my dream of joining come true by applying. After long months of gathering everything I needed and waiting to hear from them I finally found out their decision. I was accepted to leave for Macedonia in September. I am so excited to be able to use my degree to help raise awareness about children and adults with disabilities, break stereotypes people have about disabilities, develop after school programs for the Macedonian youth, integrate myself into a new culture, learn about a different way of life, and have the experience of a lifetime.
I would be extremely grateful for any donation you could afford to help me prepare for my 24 month long journey. Any donation would go toward equipment and gear I need, international vaccines, medical costs to gain clearance, and to helping me achieve my goal of using my degree to help others while in the Peace Corps.
My Story
During my sophmore year of high school I found out about the Peace Corps and what they do for communities around the world. Ever since that moment I have talked about joining and trying to make a difference, even if it is a small one. However, I did not know what I could personally do to make that difference if I joined the Peace Corps.
As I got older I put the thought of joining on the back burner of my mind and started attending college for special education. During my last year of college when I was trying to figure out what to do with my degree after I graduated, was when the thought of joining came off of the back burner of my mind. In May of 2015 I finally graduated from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale with a Bachelor of Science in special education. I was still unsure about joining and thought that some experience in special education would not only help me decide but, would look good on my application.
Fast forward to September/November 2015 and I finally decided to make my dream of joining come true by applying. After long months of gathering everything I needed and waiting to hear from them I finally found out their decision. I was accepted to leave for Macedonia in September. I am so excited to be able to use my degree to help raise awareness about children and adults with disabilities, break stereotypes people have about disabilities, develop after school programs for the Macedonian youth, integrate myself into a new culture, learn about a different way of life, and have the experience of a lifetime.
I would be extremely grateful for any donation you could afford to help me prepare for my 24 month long journey. Any donation would go toward equipment and gear I need, international vaccines, medical costs to gain clearance, and to helping me achieve my goal of using my degree to help others while in the Peace Corps.
Organizer
Ciara Nichole Marquis
Organizer
Champaign, IL
