PARSIPPANY — Five or six days a week, Parsippany Resident Joe Coronado teaches financial education, works with groups to learn about saving, works on integration, and applies bug spray to prevent another case of dengue. But one thing is clear, serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer is the most challenging and best experience of his life.
“I’ve always wanted to do something that would help people. I want my life to have meaning, affecting lives for the better. And since I was young, my parents instilled a desire to travel, making Peace Corps the perfect opportunity for me,” Joe said.
A life-long Parsippany resident and graduate from Parsippany High School, Joe attended Northeastern University in Boston, graduating with a bachelor’s of the sciences degree with a concentration in finance. After working for his aunt and uncle’s HVAC business he applied and was offered the opportunity to serve with the Peace Corps.
In July of 2015, Joe made the move to Lambayeque a hot district in the north of the country where winter settles at 65 degrees Fahrenheit and summers can pass 100. Although challenging, he believes that this has been one of the most rewarding experiences of his life.
“I am an economic development volunteer where my goals are to work with small businesses to help them grow. I teach high college students how to write and execute a business plan, teach financial education, and implement community banks.”
“The biggest challenge I face as a volunteer is that it’s crucial to work on trust-building, which means becoming a better listener and better person. You can’t just walk into a community and impose your ideas or projects. Creating sustainable changes requires compassion and integration at the most intimate level. Sometimes that means poorly executing a traditional dance at various town events in front of 500 people, changing your diet to the local cuisine, or sharing moments in weddings, graduations, and even funerals”.
After Joe returns from Peace Corps, hopes to continue learning as an MBA student.
For more than five decades, Peace Corps Volunteers have worked in 140 countries to solve critical challenges alongside community leaders. Learn more by clicking here.
