My First Week in Panama

Posted by Abby Bryant on Mon, Jul 01, 2013 @ 01:52 PM

After a quick pre-departure orientation in Washington, D.C., I flew to Panama with a group of about 50 future volunteers who will be going through training with me. As the 73rd set of volunteers to be sent to Panama, we make up Panama Group 73 and I am already amazed by how incredibly intelligent, diverse, and compassionate everyone is.

Though for past few days we've been living just outside of Panama City while we go through administrative meetings and paperwork, this morning we are moving to the campo, the countryside, to live with a host family as we complete training during the next 9 weeks.

Volunteer House

To acquaint us with Peace Corps Panama, Group 73 split into our two sectors (Sustainable Agriculture Systems and Environmental Health) and visited volunteers who work in those sectors. My group spent the day with an incredibly successful volunteer who is working on projects with fish and rice tanks, plantains, coffee, and other vegetable farming.

Coffee and Corn

The farmers who work with Jim were with us throughout the day, and you could tell they were so proud of what they have accomplished and so appreciative of Jim's efforts. The visit made me more excited than ever to find out which community I'll be working in and get to work!

River Bridge

Unfortunately, that information won't come for another 6 weeks or so because the Program Managers have to really get to know all 50 of us and decide where we as individuals could have the greatest impact. I'm crossing my fingers for plantation management (either coffee or cocoa) or something in Eco-Tourism, but I would honestly be happy with any position I get to put my business skills to use in.

I'm looking forward to sharing all of my adventures in Panama with you over the next 27 months!

Panama Dog

Topics: Peace Corps, Panama, Volunteer Abroad, Abby Bryant

Bloggers

Paige Casario is a junior International Business major with minors in Spanish and Operational Excellence. She is studying Business and Spanish and living with a host family in Sevilla, Spain, for the spring semester. She is very excited for this opportunity and experience and can't wait to venture all over Spain and Europe.

Hi! My name is Nicole Reitz and I’m a junior psychology major at SVC. This spring, I’m studying at Edge Hill University in England.

Hi! My name is Gianna Boburka. I am an international business major with minors in operational excellence and entrepreneurship. I will be studying abroad in Thessaloniki, Greece, this summer for five weeks. In addition to taking two classes abroad, I will be exploring many different sites around Greece.

Theresa Thimons is a sophomore majoring in mathematics. She is the proud little sister to nine siblings and aunt to seventeen nieces and nephews. Theresa believes that each encounter she has with another human is an opportunity to better understand the heart of Jesus, as every person is the result of God’s love. In whatever career path she ends up taking, she looks forward to solving problems and hopefully inspiring more people to explore the world of fun that is found in math.

My name is Sam Geer. I’m from Murrysville, Pennsylvania, and I’m a junior at Saint Vincent. I’m getting my major in Environmental Science and minoring in Public Administration. I’m a work study at the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve and am a member of the Benedictine Leadership Studies Program. This summer, I'll be traveling to Bhutan in the Himalayas of Central Asia, home of the bearcat, where I’ll be studying environmental sustainability and Bhutanese culture.

Hi! Im Gabrielle Kohl, an avid reader who loves to travel around the world! I love to experience new culture, literature, people and food. I aim to make a positive impact in the lives of people with whom I interact in order to make the world a happier place.

Hi! My name is Nicole Berry and I am currently a junior studying communication and psychology. I also am minoring in children studies. I am a commuter and currently live in Delmont, PA. I am hoping to graduate in May 2017 and go on to graduate school for my Masters in Social Work and Juris Doctorate.

Anastasia Jaeger is a junior English education major with a minor in German and a minor in peace and justice. She has always dreamed of being able to travel around the world and is thankful that Saint Vincent College has these opportunities available to students. When she is not at college, she is likely working her part-time job at a local bakery. In the future, she hopes to travel more and do humanitarian work or teach high school students English.