Happy 65th anniversary to one of America’s greatest programs to aid the world | Opinion

I was raised on a farm in Fleming County, learning from a young age the importance of service, that meaningful work is about showing up, helping others, and leaving a place better than you found it. Those lessons carried me far beyond our hills and hollers, when, in 2011, I joined the United States Peace Corps. I spent the next three years working with Jamaican communities where I laughed and cried with strangers turned family, and emerged from “di rock” more resilient and compassionate.

This March, the Peace Corps turns 65! Founded by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, this government agency has spent years fulfilling its mission of sending trained men and women to assist communities around the world. Nearly 250,000 volunteers have served in the Peace Corps impacting millions of lives; 1800 of those men and women have hailed from the Commonwealth, with 25 currently serving.

As the Peace Corps celebrates its 65th anniversary in 2026, it is worth remembering that this uniquely American institution doesn’t just send volunteers abroad. It builds lifelong leaders, fosters empathy, and strengthens America’s role in the world.

I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Jamaica from 2011 to 2014, where I worked to reforest hillsides to control erosion, helped farmers improve agricultural practices, and built spaces for learning and connection. Notably, I created a community center and stocked it full of books through a partnership with my hometown middle school and the International Book Project, based here in Lexington. Just as important, I learned to listen, participate in community life, and understand perspectives very different from my own. The Peace Corps taught me that solutions only work when they are built in partnership with the people you serve.

After the Peace Corps, I continued serving my country by working in foreign policy and international development. First at Peace Corps headquarters, then as a Foreign Service officer for agricultural development with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Through America’s Feed the Future initiative, I delivered food assistance from U.S. farmers during droughts and conflict, taught good agricultural practices, and helped families create sustainable livelihoods. I worked to strengthen local economies, opened markets for U.S. businesses, and supported young people with opportunities in their home countries that kept them from migrating or being recruited to violent extremism.

When USAID was dismantled last year, I returned to the place that raised me, where I originally learned the importance of service to community and country. Today, my work includes solving complex problems, protecting our natural resources, and supporting communities across the Commonwealth. The skills I rely on every day are the same ones I learned as a Peace Corps Volunteer; leading with empathy and understanding, listening, and building mutual respect and trust, just to name a few.

The value of the Peace Corps goes far beyond the individuals it places abroad. It remains one of the best tools of American diplomacy, promotes global stability, and produces leaders who return home ready to serve. The Peace Corps is not just some adventure; it is an investment in communities at home, a “domestic dividend” of empathy, leadership, and public service.

For Kentuckians wondering how to make a difference in an uncertain world, my advice is simple: be willing to be uncomfortable, serve with humility, and learn from people whose lives look different from your own. For those of you who want to show extra support to the Americans who have served those in need on behalf of the United States, I encourage you to advocate for support from Congress for the “Peace Corps Volunteers Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2026”.

Happy Anniversary to this great American institution!

Sarah Marshall, Lexington resident, is a former U.S. diplomat whose work for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Peace Corps took her across the globe, living in Jamaica, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and Burkina Faso, where she led development and humanitarian assistance programs. Any opinions expressed are her own and do not represent the policies or opinions of her employer.