Elizabeth Long, 29, of Dutzow, has been accepted into the Peace Corps and departed for Mozambique April 27 to begin training as a health extension volunteer.Long will live and work at the community level while providing support to community health programs along with HIV/AIDS and malaria outreach initiatives. She will help organizations improve services for populations living with or affected by HIV/AIDS and support activities that prevent malaria and promote healthy living.“I decided to join the Peace Corps for number of reasons but primarily because it has been a dream of mine for many years,” Long said. “I began volunteering in Honduras through the Washington Overseas Mission, an organization my parents co-founded with several community members, at the age of 14. Through these trips, I became passionate about volunteering in the international public health field and learning about other cultures. I’m looking forward to being part of an organization that works to create meaningful, long-term partnerships between individuals in the United States and developing countries.”Long is the daughter of Dr. Tim and Jan Long of Dutzow and a 2003 graduate of St. Francis Borgia Regional High School in Washington. She earned bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and communication science and disorders in 2007 from Rockhurst University in Kansas City. Previous to Peace Corps, she’s worked as a psychiatric aide, job coach, medical translator, and laboratory assistant.During the first three months of her service, Long will live with a host family in Mozambique to learn the local language and integrate into the local culture. After acquiring the language and cultural skills that will help her make a lasting difference, Long will be sworn into service and assigned to a community in Mozambique where she will serve for two years.Long will work in cooperation with the local people and partner organizations on sustainable, community-based development projects that improve the lives of people in Mozambique and help Long develop leadership, technical and cross-cultural skills that will give her a competitive edge when she returns home. Peace Corps volunteers return from service as global citizens well-positioned for professional opportunities in today’s global job market.“I feel that the Peace Corps will be an amazing stepping-stone to finding a career that highlights my passions for service and international development,” Long said. “I want to gain a better understanding of challenges in the public health field and to determine how best to make an impact on each community I encounter. I am eager to learn about and work closely with people from a culture that may be vastly different from my own. Finally, I am excited to face the challenge of living simply and learning to overcome any personal and professional challenges I come across.”Long joins the 125 Missouri residents currently serving in the Peace Corps.Elizabeth Long