How One Graduate Found Her Purpose Abroad
A year ago, Josie Calhoon stepped off a plane in Togo, West Africa, unsure what the next two years would bring. Today, she spends her days working alongside farmers, women’s groups, and students to promote sustainable agriculture practices in her community.
While Calhoon’s work now focuses on soil health, food security, and natural resource management, the journey that brought her there started with a college experience that changed the course of her future.
Growing up in the US Virgin Islands, Calhoon always loved traveling and learning about different cultures. However, she never imagined she would one day be living and working overseas.
That changed during Calhoon’s sophomore year at the Herbert College of Agriculture.
As a student, Calhoon interned in the forestry department of a climate change research organization in Guatemala. The experience gave her a firsthand look at international agricultural work and opened her eyes to opportunities she had never considered before.
“That experience widened my horizons and definitely led me to consider working internationally after graduation,” Calhoon says.
Through support from the Smith Center, she received funding to complete her internship and gain valuable international experience. It was also at a college career fair that Calhoon first learned about the Peace Corps.
“I definitely wouldn’t be in the position I serve in today without the help and encouragement I had from the Herbert College of Agriculture and the Smith Center,” she says.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in forestry in 2025, Calhoon took another leap of faith and accepted a position with the Peace Corps. Leaving family and friends behind was not easy.
“The hardest part of moving abroad was facing the unknown,” she says.
Now living in a farming community in northern Togo, Calhoon has found that her agricultural background has helped her build connections with the people around her. Whether helping in the fields, discussing farming challenges, or learning the local language, agriculture became a bridge that helped her feel at home in a completely new place.
While her work has allowed her to make an impact in her community, Calhoon says the experience has changed her just as much.
“Living in Togo has taught me that I am stronger and more capable than I ever thought,” Calhoon says. “Immersing yourself in a new culture, with a new language, in a new country is daunting, but each day I look back and am proud to see how far I’ve come.”
Her time abroad has also helped her discover a passion for service.
“Getting to wake up every day and do a job that I know is making a difference has taught me that this is exactly where I want to be,” she says.
Recently, Calhoon completed her first federal grant project, leading a three-day training focused on improving dietary diversity in her community. The training taught women how to incorporate nutrient-dense foods into traditional recipes while also providing skills they could use to create additional economic opportunities. After the training, the women formed a cooperative to continue the work in their community and neighboring villages.
One year into her service, Calhoon is excited to continue learning and growing alongside the people she serves.
“This experience means the world to me,” she says. “I just celebrated the one-year anniversary of my arrival in Togo, and I can’t wait to see what year two has in store for me.”
What started as a college internship in Guatemala became much more than a study abroad experience. It sparked a passion for international service, gave Calhoon the confidence to step into the unknown, and ultimately led her to a career in which she is making a difference every day. For her, saying yes to one opportunity opened the door to a future she never imagined, and gave her the chance to take the Volunteer Spirit global.
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