William Douthitt, 23, of Falls Church, was accepted into the Peace Corps and departs for Uganda this week to begin training as a health volunteer, where he will live and work with Ugandans to improve health outcomes, teach about HIV and malaria prevention, and address needs outlined by his host community.

Douthitt is a graduate of George Mason High School, where he ran cross-country and participated in track and field, band, chorus, and national honor society. He attended the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations in 2012.

During the first three months of his service, Douthitt will live with a host family in Uganda to become fully immersed in the country’s language and culture. After acquiring the language and cultural skills necessary to assist his community, Douthitt will be sworn into service and be assigned to a community in Uganda, where he will live and work for two years with the local people.