LANCASTER, Calif. — When it’s time to pack for a two-year trip, figuring out what to take can take some time.

“I’ve just been grappling with the last two, three pounds, being like, ‘What should I take out? What should I put back in? What do I really need?’” said Sareena Khanal, who’s volunteering with the Peace Corps. 

What You Need To Know

  • Peace Corps Volunteers began returning to service in stages starting in March with Zambia and the Dominican Republic

  • The agency evacuated nearly 7,000 volunteers from 60 countries when the pandemic shut everything down in March 2020

  • Sareena Khanal will teach in Mongolia until at least Jan. 2025

  • The Peace Corps celebrated in 60th anniversary last year

She is among the first group of Peace Corps volunteers who will serve in Mongolia since the Pandemic began. She lives in Lancaster and recently graduated from Williams College with a degree in Political Science.

“With my interests in law, service, social justice issues, this was the perfect post-graduate opportunity,” Khanal said.

And she’s no stranger to service. Her family is from Nepal and when an earthquake hit the country in 2015, she sprung into action, raising $10,000 to build a school. She said she was first exposed to the Peace Corps program during her many visits there.

“Nepal is a very, very popular Peace Corps destination, and lots of volunteers have gone there,” she said. “I did ask for preferably somewhere in Southeast Asia, just because I’m a little more familiar with Asian cultures and the region itself.”

Khanal will be part of the more than 40% of Peace Corps volunteers who serve in the education field.

“Mostly, my day will be 8-5 working in the school, predominantly as an English teacher co-teaching, and I’ll also be tasked with over my two years, to develop a sort of side project that Peace Corps gives money for, in which case you’re supposed to address the needs of your community,” she said.

Volunteers usually stay with a host family, but with COVID still a concern, Khanal says she’ll be sharing an apartment with another volunteer.

To prepare for her trip, the Peace Corps sent her multiple online learning modules to help her get accustomed to the language and culture, but there aren’t enough courses on the planet to help her loving parents calm their nerves about the journey.

“I have mixed feelings about that, of course, like any parent, but I’m extremely proud of her decision,” said Sanjaya Khanal, Sareena’s father.

She will undergo three months of training when she first arrives in Mongolia before starting her service.

“She knows how to defend herself. She’s a black belt in karate,” Sanjaya laughed.

So with her trusty travel pillow, she is geared up for the trip of a lifetime.

“Every single place I’ve gone too since 10, it’s gone with me,” Khanal said, showing off the pillow. “Traveling and meeting new people is one of the best things someone can do to really figure out more about themselves and their place in the world.”

And she’s ready to roll. 

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