The time for me in the Peace Corps was easily the most formative experience I've had in my life.
The American public will give you an awful lot of slack on how you voted on one issue or another if they feel like you have a reason.
You can see what happens when people don't feel they have a chance. You can see the ramifications of that.
It's my name on the ballot, and it's me running this race. I'm the one doing this. Not my father and not my grandfather and not my great-uncle and not President Kennedy.
To me, that's what the Peace Corps is all about - the impact that simple acts of service can have across borders, generations, and time. It's a lesson I carry with me every day.
I have been extraordinarily fortunate in my life, luckier than almost anybody on this planet. And whenever I ran into challenges, my parents did everything they could so that I could maximize my own potential.
