Morgan Billingsley of Vienna is among the first Peace Corps volunteers to return to overseas service since the pandemic began in the spring of 2020.
Billingsley is a graduate of James Madison University with a bachelor’s degree in justice studies. She will serve as an agriculture volunteeer in Panamas.
“My primary goal for the next two years in Panama is to learn. I have been invited to live alongside members of vibrant communities that have graciously agreed to share their wisdom, culture and history with us.”
In the spring of 2020, the Peace Corps suspended global operations and evacuated nearly 7,000 volunteers from more than 60 countries owing to COVID. Currently, volunteers have returned to a total of 47 countries, with more to be added as health conditions permit.
The Peace Corps was founded during the Kennedy administration, and over the decades more than 240,000 Americans have served in 142 countries worldwide.
Applications are being accepted through April 1 for fall Peace Corps programs. For information, see the Website at www.peacecorps.gov/apply.
