Swearing-In Ceremony

The Swearing-In Ceremony of January 4^th, 2012 marked the end of PST and the commencement of our lives as Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV’s) in Jordan.  I honestly had no idea how big of an event this would until it actually happened.  I was always under the impression that we would get together at the Training Center and be given little certificates stating that we had successfully completed Pre-Service Training and were now authorized to serve as Peace Corps Volunteers.  I could not have been more wrong:  Not only did we not receive certificates (unheard of in the Peace Corps world), but the event was a gallant affair held in the luxurious performance hall of the university, attended by some of Jordan’s elite, and televised live on national television.  A few of the distinguished guests and speakers included the Peace Corps Jordan Country Director, the United States Ambassador to Jordan, the Mafraq Minister of Education, the national Minister of Youth, and the President of Al-Al Bayt University.

Honestly, however, I was less impressed by the attendance of these guests as I was by my more personal guests.  I was honored by the presence of my PST host-family as well as several teachers from both the school where I worked during PST and the school where I will work as a PCV.  Though the ceremony was well structured and the speakers all appeared to be quite appreciative of Peace Corps in general and each of us specifically as Peace Corps Volunteers, I found more enjoyment from the time before and after the ceremony in which I was able to converse with my new friends, both Jordanian and American alike.  Many of these people, whom I consider to be very close friends of mine, I will not be able to see but on a limited and sporadic basis over the next two years.  For me, the best part of the Swearing-In Ceremony was celebrating with and being with the people I consider closest to me in Jordan.