RPCVs take on all kinds of careers after their service, but the experience of the Peace Corps is a connecting force no matter the post-PC path. Two RPCVs at the Department of State are taking the opportunity to connect with other RPCVs through the DoS's online "Communities @ State" program. With help from the Office of eDiplomacy, Erik J. Schnotala (Mauritania '00-'02) and Tyler Sparks ('01-'03) have formed Returned Peace Corps Volunteers @ State.
The goal of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers @ State is to provide an opportunity for State employees who were Peace Corps volunteers to communicate, network and interact more effectively. Schnotala and Sparks say they want the community to serve as a hub for RPCVs/State Department employees who are interested in keeping a connection with their fellow RPCVs and supporting Peace Corps activities in the field. They say they want the group to promote Peace Corps abroad and at home as an excellent opportunity to serve our country, and to support PCV projects through the Peace Corps Partnership program, while at the same time encouraging RPCVs to consider joining the Foreign Service.
"We hope, in our own small way, to use the community to collaborate, learn from each other's experiences, and to improve the work that we do. As a community and as an organization, we hope to support the shared goals of Peace Corps and the Department of State," they said in an e-mail.
Both Schnotala and Sparks are currently serving as Consular Officers in San Jose, Costa Rica. They encourage anyone who would like more information on Returned Peace Corps Volunteers @ State to contact them at SchnotalaEJ@state.gov or SparksTK@state.gov.
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