Submission Essays

When applying for Peace Corps each volunteer is required to write essays. The first essay is to be a motivational statement assessing why you desire to serve in the Peace Corps and what you bring to the table. The second essay is a cross-cultural essay to demonstrate your ability to integrate. While there were a few specific points they asked you to address this is the jist of what each essay includes.

Funny enough I remember a year ago sitting at the salon reading my rough drafts to my friends and the whole salon listening in on what I had written and was about to undertake! I hope this helps any prospective volunteers out there that just aren't sure what to write.
Below were my submissions:

Motivational Essay

At the end of my life the only questions I will ask myself are: Did I love enough? Did I laugh enough?  Did I make a difference? My greatest hope for my life is that I can answer yes to every one of these questions and I believe Peace Corps can help me do this.

The moment that flipped the switch in my heart occurred at a youth conference in high school where a video was played promoting African missions, since that day I have felt a calling to be a part of something greater. I realize now that my education and skill set could be highly utilized in a developing nation. My business knowledge, teaching experience, and interpersonal skills coupled with a compassionate heart and humble spirit make me a uniquely qualified volunteer. When Peace Corps entered my radar it was a light bulb moment, and I realized it would provide the perfect opportunity and financial means to give back in a way greater than I could have ever dreamed.

My greatest motivation to serve is to be able to spread the love and opportunity that I’ve been blessed with, and be able to form relationships that will forever change the course of lives, mine included. Mahatma Gandhi said “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” I believe one is never done growing or becoming a better version of themselves and I strive to always keep learning and growing through new experiences. The opportunity offered by the Peace Corps is dual purpose, as I find most often when you help others it is you yourself who reaps the greatest reward.

I think the most considerable struggles for me will also be the most rewarding parts of my service.  Preparing my personal and professional life for service will be a challenge because I am a “stuff” person and am easily attached to tangible things, particularly if they are of sentimental value. I find that physical items are only temporary and can shift focus from what is important, and because of this; I am excited to have the opportunity to purge myself of those distractions and invest my efforts into the lives of others.

I hope that through my service with the Peace Corps I can find a lifestyle that is different from the self- focused corporate grind. To be a cultural ambassador, bringing with me all of my history and experience while sharing and learning from others about theirs, would be the highest honor. I look forward to becoming part of another family and community. 

Cross-Cultural Essay

My current employer is a global company that serves a wide variety of clientele. While my role in implementing new clients limits my client base to a US market, I work closely with teams in India and Romania to ensure the success of each client. I’ve worked to help train our team in India and regularly communicate with our team in Romania to guarantee all aspects are taken care of for the client. While I have found the culture from our US office does not greatly differ from that of Romania, our culture is vastly different from that of our team in Pune, India.

 I have found communication and cultural expectations to be the two greatest challenges in working with such a different culture. I learned early on that “mean what you say, and say what you mean” was more difficult than it sounded when we, as American’s, use so many colloquialisms that second language English speakers are not accustomed to.  I have had to learn to communicate with an open mind and not take everything at face value since the gap between languages often allows for errors and miscommunications. I also found that cultural expectations and norms are very different and worked closely with a team leader in India to better understand what is culturally acceptable and find ways to train and work within those expectations. I found that once I bridged those gaps and began to understand cultural norms such as- it is not common, or comfortable, to ask questions in a group setting- I was able to better tailor my training by taking questions via email and addressing items in a general manner without any individual having to stand out.  Taking the initiative to be inquisitive and learn about their cultural expectations made a huge difference in the reception of daily communication and work. I found that doing little things like wishing them a happy holiday, such as the upcoming Id-Ul-Fitr holiday, went a long way in building trust and rapport across time zones and cultures.

In my experience the greatest assets to cultural success are an open mind and willingness to get outside your own comfort zone.  I fully expect to be outside my normal routine, language, and comfort zones while serving and welcome the opportunity to experience and integrate into a different way of life, enjoying all the richness that comes along with a new culture. My experience outlined above demonstrates my ability to be flexible and conform to cultural norms. I have enjoyed learning from my colleagues in India and look forward to a full cultural immersion in a foreign country.