On Monday, 29 September 2014, after several weeks and many rewrites with the help of friends and family I finally completed my Peace Corps essay, which for me was the most difficult part of the initial application. I hit the SUBMIT button about 10:00 PM and my application to the Pease Corps was sent. within an hour, I received an email assigning me a candidate number and then a link to a medical history form to complete.
I am waiting for some test results that I started prior to my application being sent in and I will then submit my health history.
The essay. The application says, "No more than 500 words" and I say HA HA HA! It should read "No more than 3,000 characters"! After all my edits to get it as close to 500 words as possible I was 18 characters over! Back to the edit room and now it is 521 words and 2,987 characters! Here it is -
“What defines us is how well we rise after falling.”* The Peace Corps has always been a lifelong dream of mine. Even though my life experiences took me far from the path of the Peace Corps, they have prepared me for the challenges I’ll face as a volunteer.
As a child, I remember watching Public Service Announcements inviting college graduates to ask themselves, “How far will you go?” I knew then I wanted to be part of the Peace Corps. Because of personal challenges - being homeless, recovering from a house fire, and suffering the loss of a child, earning a college degree was removed from my list of goals. Sadly my Peace Corps dream was neatly packed away (I thought forever). After I realized I could become a volunteer even well above my twenties, I placed the Peace Corps on my goal list even as a mother of two small children.
In 2007, I lost my job and realized the opportunity had presented itself to apply to the Peace Corps. So at 54, I applied. Unfortunately, I didn’t receive an invitation because of my lack of a college degree. Therefore, I enrolled in college.
While I worked toward my degree, my love of cultures and travels found me in Beirut, Lebanon in 2009, when I was invited to travel with Dr. Alan Hale during the International Year of Astronomy. Then in 2012, I traveled to Australia and spent a significant amount of time with family and the locals there. During both trips, I spent time with people from various cultures and backgrounds. I asked questions, listened, and had meaningful and insightful conversations with them and built strong, long lasting friendships. My travels only reinforced my desire to graduate from college and apply to the Peace Corps.
In August 2014, I graduated with a B.A. in English. With that goal met, it was time to resubmit my application to the Peace Corps.
The opportunity to completely immerse myself in another country’s culture for two years is thrilling. I’m confident I’m prepared to serve with the Peace Corps. Having overcome life’s challenges, I’ve learned to persevere. I’ve grown from each experience and I’m proud of the person I’ve become. Life has taught me that the only fear in any challenge is the fear of failing. Being courageous and persistent has resulted in strength to overcome any difficulty that has been placed before me.
When my journey ends with the Peace Corps, I hope to leave behind a lasting positive impression on the community I served of myself and all Americans. I will take a piece of that culture home to share with my daughters, community, and, most importantly, my grandchildren.
“An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. So when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it’s going to launch you into something great.”* My life hasn’t been filled with difficulties, only challenges and adventures. The 27 months of giving to others will lead to a lifetime of new friends and family to treasure. I know the Peace Corps is my next great thing!
*Author Unknown
No comments:
Post a Comment