If anyone out there is looking for a name for a tornado, they might consider Carole as a possibility: the woman is like a whirlwind, no less.

At 68, Carole A. Kennedy is so full of energy and ideas, so passionate and cheerful, so persistent and ready to take on anything that comes her way, it is hardly a surprise to know that she is off to Ukraine as a Peace Corps volunteer later this month.  “Why not?” she asks, as if it is the most natural thing in the world to do.  “I love to travel, I’m free of responsibility, and I am in good shape.”

Kennedy, a jewelry and accessories designer, has traveled to almost every European country and to several Asian ones.  “I loved Bali and wanted to go back there but they didn’t want me to go to Indonesia so I’m off to Kiev instead,” Kennedy says.

She has been asked to apply her expertise as a small-business entrepreneur to help Ukrainian nongovernmental organizations expand their business through better advertising and marketing.  “I’d like to help them market the skills they have,” Kennedy said.  “The opportunity to sell ethnic goods is always limited but, with the internet, the chance to fish for new clients has grown.”

For her efforts, Kennedy will be paid $200 a month for the next 27 months.  She will stay with host families for the first six months as she familiarizes herself with the country and her work.  She doesn’t know where she’ll be assigned after the first few weeks in Kiev.  “With my luck, I’ll end up somewhere near Siberia,” Kennedy says.

It is clear that a sense of adventure drives Kennedy, but she is not doing this for the fun alone.  She says she enjoys helping people and has been a volunteer at Altrusa, a business women’s club where, among other activities, she has helped raise money for literacy among women in Afghanistan.  “It is difficult for women to operate in certain environments and I want to help as much as I can.”

Her helpful nature has been noticed by many on the Island.  “She’s a gentle, compassionate presence who will be missed a lot while she is away in Ukraine,” said Srini, an investment banker and a longtime friend of Kennedy’s.

“This is a woman who knows how to make lemonade out of a lemon,” said Julie Lipp, Kennedy’s friend from the Garden Club on the Island.  “She is strong and courageous, resilient and optimistic.  She is always positive and interesting.”

Blushing furiously, Kennedy tries to laugh off the positive comments.  She says her social life has never been better.  Since she announced her departure, she says, “I’ve never been wined and dined as much.”

“We’re celebrating because we are so happy to see her go,” quipped Lipp.

While Kennedy is preparing to set off across the ocean, she is positive she will return to her Rivercross apartment, where she has lived for the better part of the past three decades, and the City she so loves.

Kennedy declares her “favorite city on earth will always be New York” – this on the jacket of a book she has co-authored with fellow Islander Hattie-Jo Mullins.  The book, New York Made Easy, A Practical Guide for Seniors, was published earlier this year.  It lists practical tips for seniors to enjoy the sights and sounds of New York and tells them where to shop, eat, dance, and even where they can sit, rest, reflect, and find restrooms and doctors.