Joel Fehrman, 23, of Marysville, has been accepted into the Peace Corps and will depart for Ecuador this month to begin training as an education volunteer.
“I hope to gain fluency in Spanish, have an cultural exchange, learn to work with different people, and gain skills that can be useful to help others,” Fehrman said.
Fehrman is the son of Jon and Amie Fehrman of Marysville, and a graduate of Marysville High School and The Ohio State University. Prior to joining the Peace Corps, he worked as a student leader of Bridges International at The Ohio State University.
During the first three months of his service, Fehrman will live with a host family in Ecuador to become fully immersed in the country’s language and culture. After acquiring the necessary skills to assist his community, Fehrman will be sworn into service and assigned to a community in Ecuador, where he will live and work with the local people for two years.
“I was attracted to Ecuador because I had previously traveled there for three months,” Fehrman said.
Fehrman will work in cooperation with the local people and partner organizations on sustainable, community-based development projects that improve the lives of people in Ecuador and help Fehrman develop leadership, technical and cross-cultural skills that will give him a competitive edge when he returns home. Peace Corps volunteers return from service as global citizens well-positioned for professional opportunities in today’s global job market.
Fehrman joins the 223 Ohio residents currently serving in the Peace Corps and more than 7,720 Ohio residents who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961.
The Peace Corps currently has a high need for applicants to fill volunteer programs departing in 2020. To learn more about how to get involved with Peace Corps and the benefits of service, those interested may connect with a recruiter online or register to attend an event.