Celebrate Women’s History with Jody Olsen, Former Peace Corps Director and Author of A Million Miles

A Million Miles:  My Peace Corps Journey

A Conversation with Former Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen and Friends
Virtual event, April 16 at 7:00pm EDT

Join us for a book talk on Former Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen’s new memoir A Million Miles: My Peace Corps Journey (The University of Utah Press 2024), featuring Jonathan Zimmerman (RPCV Nepal 83-85), Meleia Rose (RPCV Malawi 07-09), and Jody Olsen (RPCV Tunisia 66-68).  The event will be hosted by Zack Klim, Director of the Museum of the Peace Corps Experience.  The author and featured guests will discuss the book and the case for citizen diplomacy.  

When Jody Olsen enlisted as a Peace Corps volunteer in Tunisia in 1966, she was fleeing familial tragedy and societal norms of her Salt Lake City upbringing. Her service in Tunisia upended her religious and cultural beliefs and propelled her into a six-decade career with the Peace Corps, culminating in her directorship of the agency.

Olsen’s captivating memoir reveals the personal and professional challenges she faced throughout her career, which spanned the Reagan era, 9/11, and the Trump administration. She writes candidly about her struggles as a woman in leadership, as well as personal hardships such as the sudden death of her brother and her emotionally difficult divorce after her husband’s coming out. This memoir is a sharp, vulnerable portrait, a testament to the transformative power of leadership and self-discovery.