Сайна байна уу? (Greetings)! I am Blake Grove, a 30 year old Californian whose path has taken me from the sunlit beaches of Southern California to the open steppes of Mongolia. Most of my life was spent on the beach, where I surfed and served as a lifeguard for my local fire department for 14 years. In 2021, I left California for Durham, England, to complete a two-year master’s degree. Along the way, I caught the travel bug in a big way. By now, I’ve visited more than 45 countries across three continents. When I graduated in 2023, I knew I wanted to put my skills toward public service in a place where I could make a difference.
The Peace Corps has given me that platform. Today I live in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s vibrant capital, where winter temperatures can plummet to –40 Celsius (which happens to be exactly –40 Fahrenheit). I serve as an English Education and Community Development Volunteer at a local public school, working with middle and high school students to co-teach lessons and support English teachers with language development. Beyond the classroom, I collaborate with a range of local and international NGOs on community projects. I also help manage Peace Corps Mongolia’s social media, sharing stories from classrooms, clubs, and community events that highlight the creativity and resilience found here. Since leaving home, it’s been an unforgettable ride, and I’m excited to see where the tide of life takes me next.
Peace Corps Volunteers like me live and work side by side with community members around the world, collaborating on locally prioritized projects, building relationships, exchanging cultures and knowledge, and helping transform lives for generations. Learn more by clicking here.
