Laura Jernegan, 22, of Edgartown, has been accepted into the Peace Corps and will depart for Vanuatu, an island in the South Pacific, on Jan. 23 to begin training as an information technology and English education volunteer. Ms. Jernegan will live and work in the community with local English teachers to help them improve their ability to teach English to primary school students. She will teach a class with a local partner teacher. There are currently 63 volunteers in Vanuatu working in the areas of education and health. During their service in Vanuatu, volunteers learn to speak the local languages, including French and Bislama. More than 635 Peace Corps volunteers have served in Vanuatu since the program was established in 1990.

Ms. Jernegan is the daughter of Cliff and Debbie Jernegan and a graduate of Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. She earned her bachelor’s degree in 2013 from American University in Washington, D.C.