Nothing is holding me back at this point,¿¿ says Monica Groen, who on March 19 will begin at 27-month Peace Corps assignment in Morocco. A Galien resident, Groen was valedictorian of her River Valley High School Class of 2006. (South Bend Tribune/LOU MUMFORD)
LOU MUMFORDSouth Bend Tribune6:00 p.m. EDT, March 16, 2012
GALIEN — Remember the Peace Corps?
Monica Groen did, shortly after her 2010 graduation from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice.
Not quite ready to begin law school, Groen, 23, a former Miss Galien and the valedictorian of her River Valley High School Class of 2006, said a sudden urge to travel was accompanied by renewed interest in the Peace Corps, the 1961 volunteer initiative launched by President John F. Kennedy.
“I had this vision of doing something different,” she recalled. “So I got online and looked at the Peace Corps’ website.
“Two hours later, I was halfway through my application. I kind of just went for it.”
Although at that point, she hadn’t told her parents, Greg and Carolyn Groen, about her Peace Corps plans, it didn’t take them long to lend their support.
“They’re happy I’m pursuing my dreams,” she said.
The upshot is, she’ll leave March 19 for a 27-month assignment in Morocco, where she’ll be involved in youth development. During her first three months in the country, she’ll undergo training for her assignment in part by living with a host family and learning Arabic.
No she doesn’t speak a word of the language now but it’s not a concern, she said.
Her arrival in Morocco will cap a roughly 18-month process in which she was interviewed in Chicago and required to pass numerous medical tests.
“Basically, nothing can be wrong with you to get in,” she said.
As for her assignment, she said she initially thought she’d be working in the field of HIV/AIDS education but her work in Grand Rapids at a shelter for homeless and runaway youths apparently caught the attention of Peace Corps officials. Groen called her job as a crisis counselor for the 10- to 17-year-olds both fulfilling and heart-breaking.
“I’ll be able to apply (in Morocco) some of the knowledge I already have,” she said.
She said she won’t find out until after her training period specifically where she’ll be assigned but it’s apt to be a relatively desolate area with few amenities. She expects young women will receive much of her attention, as the country is largely Muslim and women there are just now receiving opportunities they hadn’t had before.
Groen is excited about her opportunity as well.
“I can’t wait to go,” she said. “I’m beyond thrilled.”
Currently, the Peace Corps has 265 volunteers in Morocco and nearly 9,000 more in 74 other countries. More than 200,000 Americans have served in the Peace Corps since its inception, including more than 6,700 from Michigan.
More information about the organization can be found at www.peacecorps.gov.
Staff writer Lou Mumford: lmumford 269-687-3551
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