Our legacy, our resilience: A reflection about the Peace Corps, by Diane Glover (Philippines 2018-20)

"We will keep going. We always have, and we always will."

Jun 06, 2025

A Peace Corps Volunteer interacts with youth in the Philippines.

There are times when people wonder about the relevancy of a tiny agency whose entire mission is based on spreading global peace and friendship.

Then there are moments that remind me why the Peace Corps has endured. Moments that prove our impact is not just measured in years served, but also in lifetimes changed.

Pacific country leaders inspired by Peace Corps Volunteers

I think back to last year, when I walked into a meeting with Pacific heads of mission (Pacific countries ambassadors and permanent representatives to the UN) at the State Department. It was their final meeting in a long day, and yet the moment the Peace Corps was mentioned, the room came alive. They didn’t just want to talk about policy or logistics—they wanted to share their stories. They spoke of the Volunteers who taught them, mentored them, and became part of their families. Their voices carried admiration, gratitude, and a deep longing to see Peace Corps return to their shores. It was a reminder that our presence is more than a program—it’s a bond, a legacy.

Country directors share stories of impact

I saw it again at the Peace Corps Country Directors’ Conference in Panama, where Ambassador Mari Carmen Aponte spoke about her enduring connection to the Peace Corps. Through every stage of her career as a foreign service officer, she had seen the agency’s impact firsthand—how it bridges cultures, builds understanding, and creates leaders. In Ecuador, Ambassador Art Brown didn’t just stop by to greet Volunteers—he dedicated an entire day to them. As they prepared to close their service, he sat with them, one by one, asking about their aspirations, sharing wisdom, and helping them step into the next chapter of their lives with confidence and clarity. More recently, he spent time in the Galápagos with a Peace Corps Response Volunteer who is working to strengthen environmental education efforts in that region. Even in one of the most remote corners of the world, the Peace Corps’ presence is shaping the future.

A skateboarding project in the Philippines

And I think, too, about my own site as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines from 2018 to 2020. During my service, I promised Filipino youth that we’d do a project they would love and own—so much so that when implementation day came, my only job would be to take pictures. We built a skateboarding program together from scratch, centered on leadership, creativity, and community. I never got to take those pictures because the pandemic forced a global evacuation. But seven years later, that same group of young people still runs the project. They’re still skating, still mentoring, still building community. That’s the power of Peace Corps—impact that continues long after we’re gone, because the work was never just about us. It was about them.

My own Peace Corps journey didn’t end with evacuation, it evolved. After returning home in 2020, I was accepted into the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Enterprise Emerging Leaders Program, a two-year rotational leadership development program where I gained experience across all major business lines—human resources, contracting, and building management.

After graduating, I joined GSA’s contracting office as a project manager, overseeing multiple contracts that helped other federal agencies fulfill their missions. While I learned so much in that role, I found myself drawn back to the world of international development. My Peace Corps service had confirmed where my heart was—this was the work I wanted to do, and the work I wanted to grow in.

A return to the Peace Corps

Today, I serve as the special assistant for Peace Corps’ Inter-America and the Pacific (IAP) Region. In this role, I support the regional director and our overseas and domestic teams with the region’s administrative, strategic, and logistical needs. It’s an honor to support the region and to work alongside the people and programs that shaped me. Every day in this role is a reminder that service doesn’t stop when your 27 months (or 18 months in my case) ends—it simply takes new forms.

Moments from my work as special assistant and from my Peace Corps service are not just heartwarming anecdotes. They are proof. Proof that no matter what challenges we face, Peace Corps remains a force for good. Proof that the relationships we build—one classroom, one host family, one community at a time—outlast political cycles and shifting priorities.

Peace Corps' resilience

Peace Corps has weathered storms before, and we will weather them again. But we will endure because our impact is real, because the world still needs us, and because as long as there are Volunteers willing to serve, communities eager to welcome them, and stories like these to remind us why we do this work—we will keep going. We always have, and we always will.

Ready to serve? Connect with a recruiter to find out more!

Read Our legacy, our resilience: A reflection about the Peace Corps on PeaceCorps.gov.

Diane Glover is a special assistant in the Peace Corps’ Inter-America and Pacific Region. She served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines from 2018 to 2020.