LAKE GENEVA, Wis. — A Wisconsin woman is representing the state of Wisconsin in a trip overseas. It’s a long haul, but one she said she’s hoping to use toward making a difference.

Patti Sudendorf is one of the first Peace Corps groups to be traveling out of the country since the pandemic. She’ll soon be taking flight to Montenegro as a volunteer.

“Now I am two weeks out and waiting to go back,” Peace Corps volunteer Sudendorf said.

(Courtesy of Patti Sudendorf)

Sudendorf joined the Peace Corps after retiring from her full-time career of practicing law for around 30 years. She was able to take her first trip to Montenegro in 2020, right before the world shut down.

“We were there as a first group in Montenegro, teaching English as a first language. That was our mission,” Sudendorf said.

However, their mission was cut short, and they were only able to serve eight weeks of her 27-month stay. But now that things are back on track, she said she’s ready to head back.

“It feels really right. I think there has been enough time elapsed and there are enough protocols in place,” Sudendorf said.

(Courtesy of Patti Sudendorf)

As one of the first volunteers back in service since the pandemic, she said it’s something she’s looking forward to and that she can’t wait to integrate with the culture.

“The best part of it is not only sharing what the United States is about and what teaching is all about, but learning the culture and respecting each other's cultures,” Sudendorf said.

Part of her mission is to teach English as a second language to people in Montenegro and share what the U.S. is like to all corners of the world.

Now in her final weeks before deployment, Sudendorf said she’s looking forward to returning and making a difference.