MICHIGAN STATE ALUMNA BEGINS PEACE CORPS SERVICE
Christine Hood, 23, of Battle Creek has been accepted into the Peace Corps and will depart for the Dominican Republic Aug. 19 to begin training as a youth in development volunteer. Hood will live and work at the community level to make a difference working with youth to promote leadership, life skills and making strong decisions.
“Some of the factors that have motivated me to serve with Peace Corps are my desire to challenge myself in new ways, gain new perspectives, and become a part of something larger than myself, as well as the satisfaction I get when working with children,” Hood said.
Hood is the daughter of Daniel and Camille Hood of Battle Creek and a 2009 graduate of Lakeview High School and Battle Creek Math and Science Center. In 2013 she earned a bachelor’s in psychology from MSU, where she participated in the MSU Adolescent Diversion Program. Previously, she worked at St. Vincent Catholic Charities in Lansing and Avalon Behavioral Health in Battle Creek.
“In the past, working with at-risk youth, some involved in the juvenile court systems, has been great experience to prepare me to be a youth in development volunteer,” Hood said. “I've also had experience working in an office setting, where I learned a lot about networking between professionals and the care of clientele.”
During the first three months of her service, Hood will live with a host family in the Dominican Republic to learn the local language and integrate into the local culture. After acquiring the language and cultural skills that will help her make a lasting difference, Hood will be sworn into service and assigned to a community in the Dominican Republic where she will serve for two years.
Hood will work in cooperation with local counterparts and partner organizations on sustainable, community-based development projects that improve the lives of people in the Dominican Republic and help Hood develop leadership, technical, and cross-cultural skills that will give her a competitive edge when she returns home. Peace Corps volunteers return from service as global citizens well-positioned for advanced education and professional opportunities.
“I look forward to immersing myself in a new culture and making connections with people within my host community,” Hood said.
Hood joins the 271 Michigan residents currently serving in the Peace Corps. More than 6,988 Michigan residents have served as volunteers since the agency was created in 1961.
About Peace Corps Dominican Republic: There are currently 185 volunteers in the Dominican Republic working in the areas of community economic development, health, education and environment. During their service in the Dominican Republic, volunteers learn to speak the local languages, including Spanish and basic Haitian Kreyol. More than 4,390 Peace Corps volunteers have served in the Dominican Republic since the program was established in 1962.