This year the Dresen family celebrated three graduations:  John received his MA in Public Health from GWU and continues to work at GW, Jason graduated from VCU and Julia graduated from Alexandria City High School and is on her way to W&M!  Congratulations to Team Dresen …. Mom and Dad too!

While at VCU, Jason focused on business, political science, international relations, macroeconomic theory, and helped as a tutor in economics for students who could use a little help and encouragement along the way. VCU highlighted Jason’s success in a recent article (https://news.vcu.edu/article/jason-dresen-readies-for-the-peace-corps-and-hopefully-the-foreign-service) if you’d like to read a little more.  Ultimately it’s Jason’s dream to one day have a career in Foreign Service through the State Department.

Jason has discerned that working with the Peace Corps is a perfect next step.  Jason left for Sri Lanka on September 11 and he'll be serving there until November 2028.  Jason's actual job will be teaching English at a rural school and helping the local English teacher practice their skills.  Right now Jason only has a rough understanding of the village where he'll be based, but he knows the village is located in the northern part of the country.  He'll spend the first three months in Sri Lanka training in and around the capital city of Colombo, with the other members of his cohort, before they go off to live on their own for the remaining two years.  The level of contact Jason will have with the rest of the world is still unclear for now, but he is hoping to at least have an opportunity to connect to the internet every few weeks.  Understandably Jason is hoping to not be too cut off from family and friends.

It’s our hope that Jason will keep us updated on his adventures along the way.  In the meantime we applaud Jason for his service to others.  Jason is in our thoughts and prayers and we send him on his way asking that he keep us in his thoughts and prayers as well.

God’s Speed Jason!