People choose to do different things in their lives and spend years trying to find themselves, but according to Mahatma Gandhi "the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service to others." More than 210,000 volunteers were lost in Peace Corps service. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"? Get the original essayPresident John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps by executive order on March 1, 1961. Since then, the Peace Corps has served 139 different countries, and accepted volunteers of all ages and backgrounds. One of these volunteers, Gloria Freeland, professor. journalism assistant at Kansas State University, said, “37 years ago, I began the adventure of my life” Freeland volunteered for the program in Ecuador from 1976 to 1978. After initially being rejected, Freeland wrote a six-page response to the Peace Corps outlining her experiences and qualifications. After being accepted in November 1975, she almost immediately boarded a plane for Ecuador. During his first week in Ecuador, there was a distant earthquake and the government changed hands in a bloodless coup. These two things that might seem very scary did little to faze Freeland as she recalled her trip. Freeland stayed in the capital Quito for six weeks to transition and learn Spanish, the official language of Ecuador. Freeland then moved to Salinas, Ecuador to begin his official work. While volunteering, Freeland taught English and did sporadic radio spots on health and nutrition. “It’s hard to say if I made a difference. When I first came down, I was idealistic and I was going to change the world,” Freeland said, “Now I believe change is possible through individual relationships. » Although Freeland enjoyed her experiences in the Peace Corps, she also felt somewhat rejected. when she first arrived. According to Freeland, you have to be very flexible and sometimes do your own projects and work. These sentiments were also shared by Steven Graham, assistant dean and director of the Kansas State agricultural college. Graham volunteered for the Peace Corps for three years as a grain storage worker and extension agent in Benin, West Africa. Graham provided his technical expertise to masons who built cement silos and grain dryers. According to Graham, farmers paid for building materials and masons' fees, but his technical expertise was free. Although he felt his work was a success, it took time to get everything running smoothly. “It took me a few months of patience, meeting people and networking before I found farmers willing and able to finance the grain storage systems,” Graham said in an email interview. “You just learn a lot of patience and people skills. » Although the process can be frustrating, both Graham and Freeland said they wouldn't trade their experience for anything. Freeland would have liked to stay longer, but said that during the time she spent in Ecuador, she gained a much better understanding and respect for foreign cultures, as well as a better understanding of what it means to be a minority. For Graham, Peace Corps gave him many things, including "a view of the world, lifelong friends, a wonderful entrance into K-State as a student, and a great professional life." ».”