Los Angeles Staging

Peace Corps Samoa, Group 78, Departing LAX

Front: Crystal Ochoa , Safiya Mitchell, Hannah Goldman, Erin Jenkins
Middle:, Mary Shuraleff, Erin Jenkins, Renee Moog, Kaitlin Everett
Rear: Shane Twilla, Justin Newum,NickShuraleff , Jacob Burney
Back; Mark Miller, Benjamin Harding, Christian Heath, , Paul Sylvester, Donna Barr

Before departing for Samoa, we had one and a half days of Staging. This is classroom instruction with various exercises, notebook assignments, skits, sheets taped to walls with our thoughts and ideas, and the usual techniques familiar to anyone who has undergone training. Our trainer is very good, a Peace Corps volunteer herself, whose objectives were to instill in us the importance of our behavior on the Peace Corps image , Peace Corps rules, and to get us excited about our coming assignment. She was successful in all areas.

Of course, the main attraction is the sixteen members of Group 78. Each of us getting to interact with one another. I must say both Mary and I are happy to be with such a diverse and intelligent group. Of the sixteen members, five are what I consider to be in the Senior category, two couples are married, one single woman from Hawaii. The other eleven are in their twenties, five males, six females. They are a fun group and hopefully keep our spirits young.