So... You ask me why, huh?

I am posting this so people can see the reasons why I have wanted to  join the Peace Corps. When I submitted my application, there were several essay questions they asked. Below are my answers.

Application for consideration into the United States Peace Corps

Peace Corps service presents major physical, emotional, and intellectual challenges. You have provided information on how you qualify for Peace Corps service elsewhere in the application. In the space below, please provide a statement (minimum 250 words) that includes: 
· Your reasons for wanting to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer; and 
· How these reasons are related to your past experiences and life goals. 


Our society has done so much for me. Growing up in the child welfare system as a foster kid, I realize now how important it is for everyone to have at least one person who really cares about you. It’s amazing how a little love and attention can make a difference in a person’s life. I want to be “that” person in another’s life. I have beaten the statistics that exist for people like me because of one such person.  Now I feel it is time to give back to the world to as many people as I can. Albert Einstein said it best. “It is every man’s obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it.” I have worked as a volunteer in some capacity since I was eighteen. My first experience was serving as a volunteer in Mexico during my freshman year of college. We built houses over spring break for those in dire need. I had never seen poverty like this, miles and miles of people living in boxes and shacks. It opened my eyes to the sheer number of those less fortunate in the world. It was a wonderful experience with the people we were helping. Even though there were language barriers, the depth of the gratitude expressed by these people needed no translation.
As I continued my career as a student, I realized there was a great need to lend a voice to those who will experience the broken system I faced as a child. The statistics for children growing up in the foster care system within our own country are egregious. The statistics for children worldwide are just atrocious. I have volunteered in many capacities within the movement to improve the lives of children. The rewards of working on behalf of children have led me to choose this as my career path. I am fortunate to possess an education. Very few people in the world do and it not something I take for granted. However, I believe education is a right, not a privilege and I would love to spend the rest of my life ensuring that the lives of children continue to improve and education be readily available to all. It is through these cornerstones that our children’s children will possess the tools necessary to succeed. Having committed myself to a life of service, I believe this program is a great way to enhance this career path. I am excited about the challenges that serving abroad will provide. I anticipate and look forward to this once in a lifetime experience and believe it is mutually beneficial to all parties involved.

How you expect to satisfy the Peace Corps 10 Core Expectations (please be specific about which expectations you expect to find most challenging and how you plan to overcome these challenges).

In reviewing the expectations of the Volunteers, I believe many of these would come as second nature to a person committed to improving other’s lives. During the application process, I am constantly thinking about how to better prepare myself for this journey. From anticipating missing my friends and family, being alone, quitting my job to finding a long term babysitter for my dog, every night I lay in bed wondering what it might be like to fulfill this dream. I remind myself that it is often easier to jump into the pool and deal with the shock than try and tiptoe into the cold water.
While I expect to be overwhelmed in the beginning, one thing my research of past Peace Corps volunteer experiences has shown, while it is human nature to bring my judgments and notions along with me, it would only interfere with my need to absorb as much about each individual as I can. Without knowing the specifics of my destination, the values of the people with whom I would live with for over two years, and the types of encounters that would shape my experience, I believe the most difficult of the expectations would be securing the locals trust and confidence. I am a likeable guy and can adapt easily to situations outside of my control but trust is not earned easily. It is something that takes a long time to establish and only one mistake to destroy.
I am aware that I could be assigned anywhere in the world. The thought of this is as exhilarating. While I have is hesitation and fear of the unknown, I am confident that my own passion, creativity and drive, as well as the training the Peace Corps will provide during the first three months, I know I will succeed. I understand that modern conveniences might not be so modern and convenient but I believe those experiences will ultimately make me more grateful for my current way of life. I look forward to maintaining and expanding the established relationships with the host country I am assigned to in order to achieve a mutually beneficial goal of peace and friendship.
Peace and friendship in a town, a city, a state and a country starts with a few great people working together to accomplish a goal. I am not trying to change the world. I am but one person. But if this one person can make the life of another better, I will know I have succeeded in this journey of personal and professional development. I am scared to move to another country, to learn a different language, culture and way of life but I believe this experience is one that is so unique, so powerful, and so effective, I actually dream of being a part of this.


Your success as a Peace Corps Volunteer is based on the trust and confidence you build by living in, and respectfully integrating yourself into, your host community and culture (Core Expectation #4). Describe an experience you have had in living or working in a social or cultural environment different from your own. What specific challenges did you face concerning trust, confidence, and/or integration? What did you learn from this experience that you will bring with you to your Peace Corps service?

As a child, I experienced a lifestyle that would be considered abnormal, unusual, or different than the typical family. As a teenager, I lived in six different group homes, or orphanages, and at any given time lived with up to twenty four other boys. These constant adjustments led me to adapt, often. Each staff member, our “model” parent for eight hour shifts, had their own rules and regulations. Some let us get away with murder, not literally of course, while others were sticklers for every rule.
 It showed me the differences that exist between people. Differences were easy to figure out. I grew up in a rural town with little ethnic diversity and moved to a very large city with lots of culture. The youth I lived with all came from different backgrounds and were overly representative of our minority populations. Skin color was an obvious difference. I was the only Caucasian in the last house I lived in for over two years. I was a solitary little white boy that needed to quickly gain the trust and respect of my fellow group home residents or risk being an outcast, rejected and alone. As any teenager knows, this is the worst position to be in.
This childhood experience taught me the differences in people but more importantly, and often harder to recognize, it showed me the similarities. Though we came from such diverse backgrounds including culture and education, we all had things in common that outweighed our difference. Foremost was our need to be loved and care for; to be accepted just the way we were. My point is it was easy to point out the differences in each other but we all had the same needs. Food, education, love and compassion were the cornerstone of my countless brothers growing up in group homes. I don’t believe the “real world” is much different than that. My childhood experiences have provided me with a solid, be it unique, foundation and understanding of life that will enable me to excel in service to the Peace Corps.