Essay One
I have
tossed around the idea of Peace Corps service for a few years now. I
graduated from college in May 2010, and, since then, I have been
seriously thinking about the direction I want my life to take. There
is one thing I know for sure: I want to be in a place where I am
making a difference and helping others. I
want to be a part of the Peace Corps because of the organization's
ideals, reputations, and spirit of doing the most possible good in
areas all over the world. Being just one
person, I know that I alone cannot change the world, but I truly
believe that if I can make a difference in the lives of a group of
people, they can in turn help themselves and others who are in
situations similar to theirs. That, I believe, is a huge step toward
the betterment of humanity and improvement of the world in which we
live. The Peace Corps will assist me in better developing the skills
I will need to effectively serve a community of people in need, both
in my time abroad and after I return to America.
My
reasons behind my desire to be part of the Peace Corps are directly
related to many of the same aspirations I have for my future and are
all sparked by experiences in my past. While studying abroad in
France, I gained an entirely new perspective on people and on the
world. I have had a desire to learn and to experience even more
since I returned to the United States. Not only do I want to serve
community to improve it, I want to learn and grow in my experience
and service as much as the people and place I am serving do. Serving,
living, and growing in a community and a culture different from my
own is something I desire, not only for the experience, but for the
knowledge I would gain from doing so. I want to be a Peace Corps
Volunteer in order to pair my desires to live and to learn in a new
culture with my desires to help and to love humanity, so I can do the
most possible good.
I plan
to meet the core expectations by being patient with myself and with
those I am working both with and for. I believe patience is a
necessity when integrating oneself into new surroundings and is
essential when working with others to implement change, development,
and progress. I would also aim to make myself extremely personable
and compassionate toward the people I would serve. I would work hard
to build trusting relationships so that I may be as approachable and
as helpful as possible. Though I know at times I would struggle with
Core Expectation 3, “...under the conditions of hardship, if
necessary...,” I know that I would be able to overcome the struggle
by reminding myself of all the reasons I wanted to join the Peace
Corps. Life as a volunteer will be different from life in America,
and the distance from friends and family will be difficult at times,
but I am prepared to face that struggle. I know that by being patient
with myself, maintaining my sense of humor, and integrating into my
new surroundings, I will not only create a home away from the one I
have in the U.S., but I will help my community to maintain change and
progress even after my service is over.
Essay Two
A few weeks into my
first semester of college, I was introduced to one of Southern Miss's
study abroad programs. I decided I was going to take advantage of the
opportunity to live and to learn in a tiny village in France for a
semester. The day finally arrived and my plane landed in Paris.
Before I had time to think about what I had done and the commitment I
had made, I was thrown into a whirlwind of culture shock. I quickly
realized just how far away I was from Mississippi. I was instantly
overwhelmed by my surroundings. A few deep breaths later, I began to
ask for assistance and to find my way around the airport to meet up
with other students.
I lived in the tiny
village of Pontlevoy, France, and, unlike the big city of Paris,
people here did not speak English. And while I lived with other
American students and professors, the challenges that awaited me
outside my room could not be avoided—well, not if I wanted food and
fresh air. I quickly learned that the best way to experience and
learn is by doing and trying new things. The only other option was to
hop back on a plane headed for America, and to me, this was not an
option.
One of the biggest
challenges I faced was one of finding and maintaining confidence in
myself and my abilities while trying to integrate into a society
different from the only one I had ever known. I was so nervous the
first time I spoke French in France to an actual French person, and
not inside the classroom to the American professor; however, this was
essential for my traveling and eating throughout France. I had to not
only have confidence in myself, but I also had to have trust in the
people I asked for directions, instructions, explanations, and Diet
Coke. Throughout my time in France there were many misunderstandings
because of language barriers and general lifestyle differences, but
with trust, a sense of humor, and a willingness to learn and try new
things, my time in France was enriched.
I was only eighteen
when I moved there, so I grew up a lot in my time in France. I
learned how to break down the barriers of my own comfort zone in
order to experience new things. I learned that integrating oneself
into a new environment and culture can be as simple as trying a new
food dish, or as extensive as drowning one's life in a language,
lifestyle, and surrounding unlike what they would experience in their
home country and in their comfort zone. I prefer the latter of the
two. I discovered the things I grew to love about France were all the
things I would not have experienced had I not made the decision to
dive into a world previously unknown to me.
Through my study
abroad experience, as well as living and traveling in a world until
that time unknown to me, I learned to be brave and confident in
myself and my abilities. And while the service I would perform while
serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer is quite different than the
experiences I had living and traveling in Western Europe, the lessons
I have learned about myself and about life have instilled in me a
longing for new experiences and have equipped me with the ability to
step outside of what is familiar in order to better serve and love
humanity, regardless of culture, language, or beliefs. My experience
living in a foreign country has left me with a desire to step out
into the world with a great hope that I might find new experiences in
order to not only enrich my own life and mind, but that I may be able
to enrich the world around me and make it a better place simply by
being a part of it because of the lessons I have learned.
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