2006.08.09: August 9, 2006: Headlines: COS - Panama: WKOW: Michelle Pobjoy to serve as Peace corps Volunteer in Panama

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Panama: Peace Corps Panama : The Peace Corps in Panama: 2006.08.09: August 9, 2006: Headlines: COS - Panama: WKOW: Michelle Pobjoy to serve as Peace corps Volunteer in Panama

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Michelle Pobjoy to serve as Peace corps Volunteer in Panama

Michelle Pobjoy to serve as Peace corps Volunteer in Panama

"I was sick of a monotonous job," said Pobjoy. I was sitting at a desk eight hours a day, five days a week, and I was starting to go crazy. And I needed to get out." Michelle leaves on August 14 and will be gone for 27 months. She has no idea where she'll be assigned in Panama -- she doesn't even know yet what she'll be doing. "They say my home stay will possibly be a grass hut," said Pobjoy. "(I'll be) lucky to have concrete floors, lucky to have running water or electricity."

Michelle Pobjoy to serve as Peace corps Volunteer in Panama

Making a Difference: Michelle Pobjoy

Wed 08/09/2006 -

Michelle Pobjoy isn't like most people her age. Many 25-year olds are more concerned about career, friends, sports, and the bar scene than anything else. But Michelle says she's been there and done that, and she's ready to make her mark in Panama, as a Peace Corps volunteer.

On most Wednesday nights during the summer months, you'll find Michelle socializing with friends and playing a sport she loves -- volleyball. But in just a few days, Michelle will find herself in a completely different environment, country, and culture -- thousands of miles away. Michelle is setting aside a job, family, friends, and modern amenities -- to join the Peace Corps, in Panama.

"I was sick of a monotonous job," said Pobjoy. I was sitting at a desk eight hours a day, five days a week, and I was starting to go crazy. And I needed to get out."

Michelle leaves on August 14 and will be gone for 27 months. She has no idea where she'll be assigned in Panama -- she doesn't even know yet what she'll be doing.

"They say my home stay will possibly be a grass hut," said Pobjoy. "(I'll be) lucky to have concrete floors, lucky to have running water or electricity."

Friends like John Hodges say they're proud of Michelle -- and her ambition to take on such a challenging task. "She's not doing it for the wrong reasons -- she's doing it for the right reasons," said Hodges. ""I applaud her -- there's not many people that would be willing to take on a 27 month task, and be willing to do it."

And at the same time, making a difference for countless Panamanians who will meet Michelle, and count on her to help them lead a better life.

"I'm just going to go live each day and have fun, learn a lot, hopefully educate the Panamanians about Americans also," said Michelle. "And live in a grass hut!"

Michelle will spent the first three months of her Peace Corps duty in training -- learning about the language, the culture, and security concerns in Panama. This is just like a job -- the Peace Corps pays volunteers the cost of living in their particular village. And the volunteers are responsible for just about everything during their stay.

For information about becoming a Peace Corps volunteer, click here.

To nominate someone who you think is "Making a Difference," click here.

For more information on the original 27 News report, and follow-up stories, click on ''Read the news archives'' or the ''27 News Vault''.





When this story was posted in August 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:


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Story Source: WKOW

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