Justin Valenzuela – Learning Through Serving With Peace Corps
March 31, 2026Justin Valenzuela currently serves as a Peace Corps Volunteer. He is part way through service in Nepal. In this interview, he shared his experience with the program.
I first heard about the Peace Corps during high school and kept the idea in mind throughout my education. In university, I began seriously exploring it as a path to combine service, learning, and cross-cultural exchange. With a background in volunteering and working alongside marginalized communities in the U.S., I wanted to deepen my understanding of global inequities while also witnessing the resilience and strength of people in a very different context.
That ended up leading me to serve in Sundarbazar, Nepal. I work in a rural village where life is deeply tied to farming and small-scale businesses. Few people own motorbikes, no one owns cars, and the nearest market is a 30-minute uphill walk away. It gives life here a sense of self-reliance and interconnectedness. Whether through farming, teaching, tailoring, or working abroad, everyone contributes to supporting their families and their community.
Putting Interests to Use Teaching Students, Learning from Local Farmers
I currently teach environmental awareness curriculum to students in grades 2–6, focusing on practical ways they can care for their environment and improve their lives. Beyond the classroom, I work alongside farmers in community forest user groups to promote sustainability, but also to learn from them to better support the groups. I’ve worked with these groups on planting bamboo, harvesting cardamom, and soon will be establishing fire lines to prevent forest fires. I am also in the process of applying for a grant to provide fruit trees to local farmers, supporting both better nutrition and income opportunities.
Experiencing Resilience, Genuine Acceptance Makes Service Meaningful
This experience has given me a deeper appreciation of the resilience of the Nepali people, who work tirelessly through challenges that might overwhelm others. Despite these hardships, they remain humble, generous, and grounded in community. I’ve come to value simplicity, realizing that meaningful connections and shared support matter far more than material possessions.
One of the greatest joys of my service is the genuine acceptance I’ve felt from my community, where I am treated not just as a guest, but as family. My students’ eagerness to learn inspires me daily. A moment that stands out is when, after many lessons on littering, students began picking up trash on their own, proudly showing me they understood and cared enough to act.
Applying Can be Overwhelming, But Recruiters Are Eager to Help
At first, the application process felt overwhelming, but I was fortunate to have a Peace Corps recruiter guide me through the early stages. After that, the steps (submitting information, medical clearance, and legal checks) were straightforward. I was most nervous about the essay and interview, but ultimately, being authentic and honest carried me through and brought me to where I am today.