Kruhai sa tanan – hello, everyone! My name is Erika, and I am 24 years old. I am originally from Charlotte, NC and grew up near Chicago. In Chicago, I enjoy Lake Michigan swims, running and biking through prairielands, and visiting coffee shops with friends. I attended DePauw University, where I majored in Chinese Studies with minors in Environmental Geoscience and Sustainability Ethics. My campus is in Indiana, but I had the chance to study abroad in China and Thailand, too! After graduating, I worked in Indianapolis in the technology consulting industry.
I now serve as an environmental Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines. For two years, I will work in my community’s Local Government Unit (town hall). My province, Antique, is known for being “where the mountains meet the sea.” I’m lucky to live close to the bukid (mountains) for waterfall hikes, and the bay-bay (sea) for sunset swims! In partnership with the Municipal Agriculture Office, I support Coastal Resource Management programming. My work furthers environmental policymaking, community organizing, and conservation education. I love visiting fish farms and rice paddies, speaking in Kinaray-a with neighbors, and sharing meals of fish, rice, and fresh produce!
Want to learn how to be a Peace Corps Volunteer like me? The Peace Corps is an international service network of volunteers, community members, host country partners, and staff who are driven by the agency’s mission of world peace and friendship. At the invitation of governments around the world, Peace Corps Volunteers work alongside community members on locally-prioritized projects. Learn how you can #ServeBoldy with the Peace Corps.