2011.03.31: March 31, 2011: Bulgaria RPCV Jessica Corcoran Named A Finalist In Online Essay Contest

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Bulgaria: Peace Corps Bulgaria: Peace Corps Bulgaria: Newest Stories: 2011.03.31: March 31, 2011: Bulgaria RPCV Jessica Corcoran Named A Finalist In Online Essay Contest

By Admin1 (admin) (70.254.224.177) on Thursday, October 13, 2011 - 1:21 am: Edit Post

Bulgaria RPCV Jessica Corcoran Named A Finalist In Online Essay Contest

Bulgaria RPCV Jessica Corcoran Named A Finalist In Online Essay Contest

Corcoran was in the Peace Corps in 2000 and taught English and psychology to high school students while also volunteering at a local orphanage in Bulgaria. She tells WHMI that it was an experience in the orphanage she chose to write about and says travel creates opportunities to serve others, challenge your preconceptions and embrace the world.

Bulgaria RPCV Jessica Corcoran Named A Finalist In Online Essay Contest

Pinckney Woman Named A Finalist In Online Essay Contest
March 31, 2011
Pinckney Woman Named A Finalist In Online Essay Contest

3/31/11 - A Pinckney woman has been named a top ten finalist in an online essay contest and is hoping the community will help her win. 38-year-old Jessica Corcoran recently learned that she was a finalist in The New Yorker's "My Next Journey" essay contest. Corcoran was in the Peace Corps in 2000 and taught English and psychology to high school students while also volunteering at a local orphanage in Bulgaria. She tells WHMI that it was an experience in the orphanage she chose to write about and says travel creates opportunities to serve others, challenge your preconceptions and embrace the world. The essay with the most votes will win their choice of a trip to South Africa, Scandinavia, or the Canadian Rockies. Online voting will take place until April 21st through the link below, where the essay may also be viewed. (JM)




"From the corner of my eye, I saw him as he wriggled through the fence, this young boy clothed in rags. A smile playing on his face, he approached me as I engaged the other children at the orphanage. As he reached out his hands, I could see the layers of dirt and feces in his hair and skin. It was obvious that this kid was in need of love, but in that moment I had to decide who I was. Was I untouchable or was he? In seconds, I made a decision and enveloped him in an embrace. Travel creates these kinds of opportunities: the opportunities to serve others, challenge your preconceptions, and embrace the world. My ideal trip would separate me from my own culture and place me in the middle of another. It would create opportunities for me to see the world differently, to enjoy the sights and sounds of another land and to interact with the people who live there. There is nothing like Africa to take you outside of yourself and to experience the wonders of your senses. I long to throw open my arms to the history, the wildlife and the culture."





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Headlines: March, 2011; Peace Corps Bulgaria; Directory of Bulgaria RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Bulgaria RPCVs; Writing - Bulgaria





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Story Source: WHMI

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Bulgaria; Writing - Bulgaria

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