Unofficial Peace Corps Degrees

My friend Tim had to leave Panama before he was finished with his service because civil unrest made his presence in his area too dangerous. This is not common in the Peace Corps although it does happen. I saw Tim two days before his departure and asked him how he felt about leaving early. He replied, "You know Scott, I haven't even been here [in Panama] a year, yet I know I've learned far more here than I did during four years in college."

Two weeks after Tim returned home I attended a training seminar on the construction of composting latrines. One night while we were cooking dinner on my friend's propane stove I shared Tim's words with fellow volunteers. We agreed with Tim about the value of our PC experiences and, in doing so, were led into a discussion about what degrees and minors we unofficially earn as PCVs. This list does not include the skills we develop (such as time management and problem solving); rather, it is a list of the knowledge we have attained listed as degrees we think we deserve.

Degrees:

• Literature: I am well on my way toward reading at least one hundred books during my PC service. My list includes Atlas Shrugged, The Grapes of Wrath, The Brothers Karamazov, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, War and Peace, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy to name a few. A lively debate among PCVs about these novels round out the major.
• Education: The entire philosophy of the PC rests on education; empowerment and capacitation are the keys to a successful and sustainable service. Whether it is seminars, lectures, or hands-on teaching, nearly all our work rests on education.
• Development Economics/Political Science: PCVs love to debate and discuss these two subjects more than any others. By far. A seemingly unlimited supply of books on these two subjects floats through the PC community to enhance the discussion.
• Diplomacy: In order to balance our values with our community's we rely on diplomacy. PC work itself leads many people into the field of diplomacy.
• Outdoor Education: PC service seems like a long camping trip. Getting to my site involves hiking at least 1.5 hours and neighboring PCVs are up to seven hours away.
• Community Organization: Much like education, community organization is a large component of PC work. This is especially true for Environmental Health Volunteers where success depends on the community's contribution to projects and being organized into effective groups.  

Minors:

• Spanish: This should be a major for me since I will be living in a Spanish-speaking country for two years. But in the Comarca where I live the Spanish is improper. I think of it as hick Spanish. That's enough for at least a minor, right?
• Medicine: PCVs are given a medical kit and are expected to self-medicate minor ailments. Numerous gastrointestinal issues and recovery from them improve this knowledge.
• Public Speaking: Seminars and lectures involve knowledge transfer which means that PCVs are expected to practice their public speaking skills in Spanish often.
• Management: PCVs teach their communities the importance of management and they also manage the projects they undertake.