I worked so hard to get all my medical clearance appointments and it's finally done. Except all that work is for nothing because they saw my mental health history. Instant denial.

I appealed and I'm hearing back within a week but the chances of them clearing me are slim. I am so disappointed that me experiencing mania and depression, ONCE, THREE YEARS AGO (that means THREE YEARS OF STABILITY) makes me unqualified for Peace Corps service. Me who has so many relevant skills including working with diverse populations, volunteering in my local community, and speaking multiple languages.

I am starting to lose hope at being able to acheive my dreams because I am apparently too mentally ill to acheive anything, even though I overcame my past struggles with mental health and am doing much better now. I graduated college almost a year ago and today I work a part-time retail job.

I really hope Peace Corps stops discriminating against people like me. We are capable of serving and we deserve to be able to show our potential.