Joyce Chen Wang

Can you tell us a little about yourself? 

I am from Tucson. I am double majoring in computer science and math, and double minoring in environmental science and Chinese language. I chose to study these subjects because I want to develop technologies and software for sustainable agriculture and controlled environment agriculture. I also enjoy traveling and learning languages. 

Where will you be serving in the Peace Corps? When will you start? What will you be doing? 

I will be serving as a Sustainable Agricultural Systems Agent volunteer in Benin starting in June. I will be working on improving food security and nutrition through agriculture and teaching people how to develop businesses and generate income through agricultural products. 

Why did you want to join the Peace Corps? When did you first start thinking about joining? 

I started thinking about Peace Corps during my sophomore year of college, but did not seriously consider joining until my senior year. I wanted to join the Peace Corps to work in sustainable agriculture, immerse myself in a new culture, and meet people different from myself. 

What do you consider the main benefits of being part of the Peace Corps Prep Program, and receiving the U. S. Peace Corps Prep Certificate? 

Peace Corps Prep helped me with all parts of the application process (getting the certificate, developing my resume, and helping me hone in on why I wanted to join the Peace Corps). I have enjoyed having the opportunity to meet many RPCVs in my sector/region of the world through UA Peace Corps events. 

What other steps did you take to be a strong applicant for the Peace Corps? 

I attended an application workshop give by Hannah, the UArizona Peace Corps Recruiter. She gave a great overview of what Peace Corps is looking for, and how to format the application. She also helped me completely rewrite my resume for Peace Corps and run through the interview questions with me, which helped me feel prepared for the interview. As an added bonus, Hannah was able to share a lot of her own Peace Corps experiences of serving in Benin.

Can you describe your volunteer work and extracurricular activities during your time at UArizona? 

The experience that relates most to Peace Corps was when I volunteered on a permaculture farm in Slovenia through WWOOF (Working Worldwide On Organic Farms) for two months. I was able to both travel and work in sustainable agriculture. I also gained multicultural/foreign language experience through studying abroad in Shanghai, China, where I lived for two months. Having longer term experiences, rather than just doing something for a few days or weeks, helped me learn to immerse into new cultures. I also work at Compost Cats at the University of Arizona, where I was able to teach and work with kids and the local community, learn business management, as well as learn how to operate heavy machinery and other agricultural skills. 

What are you most looking forward to as a Peace Corps Volunteer? 

I am most looking forward to meeting new people and making friends with other Peace Corps volunteers and people in my community in Benin. I am also looking forward to the work I will be doing in sustainability and agriculture. 

Are you worried about anything? 

I am both excited and worried about learning French and local languages, as it will be challenging to learn multiple new languages at the same time. I am also sad to leave my friends and family and Tucson where I have lived for the last ten years. 

What do you hope to learn from your Peace Corps experience?

I hope to learn more about agriculture and teaching, as well as how to manage longer term projects. I hope to improve my problem solving skills, as I am sure there will be plenty of unexpected challenges. I am looking forward to improving my communication skills, especially being in a new culture with different languages.