01/16/2026
In a world so desperately in need of more humanity, the Peace Corps is doing its part by sharing our co-founder Edwin Blanton's story as inspiration for others.
The six-part series is live now.
Part 1/6 — In my earliest memories, I’m looking over the hills, wondering what was beyond them.
"I was born in the late ’70s on a family farm nestled in the Ozark Mountains of southern Missouri —land that had belonged to my family for more than a hundred years. As a kid, I roamed the woods and fields, helped tend to the livestock, and did other chores. As a family, we didn’t travel much—just the occasional visit to relatives across Missouri or a week out in Wyoming visiting extended family. But even then, I felt a calling beyond the valley floor. Unlike my father and grandfather, I did not see my future as a farmer. I often found myself staring up at the ridgelines that encircled our home, wondering what lay beyond them.
I think what pushed me in that direction was a third-grade moment: the adult daughter of one of my teachers came to class and showed slides of her time in the Peace Corps. It stirred something in me. Even in our rural area, we had a robust 4-H program; I tried almost everything: woodworking, forestry, preserve making, gardening, raising animals, and public speaking. I even landed in the state 4-H speaking competition the summer before I turned 12.
As I grew older, my focus began to expand as I prepared for college and what life was like beyond the farm."
