Upon invitation to serve, every volunteer is asked write an Aspiration Statement, which will be given to his or her host country as way to introduce him or herself before arriving on site.

My Aspiration Statement

3 Professional attributes that you plan to use during you Peace Corps service and how these will help meet your aspirations and commitment to service…

During my Peace Corps service, I plan to use the teaching skills I’ve acquired in the last two years since graduating from college.  Organization, time management, and leadership have always been strong suits of mine, and I intend to continue strengthening them during my Peace Corps service. More importantly however is my ability to set realistic goals and plan the appropriate steps to achieve them. I am a dedicated individual who thrives off of hard work. I am also a good listener. I am capable of comprehending the needs of others, either because they’ve been voiced to me, or because I’ve observed them. Seeing situations from another person’s perspective has always come naturally to me. I hope to use these skills to become a part of the community, and to determine what is asked of me during my commitment to serve. I believe in the work that I am doing, and I believe in the good I am achieving. It has always been my dream to make a difference in the world, and my service in the Peace Corps allows me to do just that.

“Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something.” – Anonymous

2 strategies for working effectively with host country partners to meet expressed needs…

My first strategy in working effectively with my host country is to adapt to religious changes. I was raised in a Jewish community, and I possess a rich Jewish education, however I do not consider myself a religious person. I believe that everyone has a right to his or her own faith, and I am accepting of any religion. I plan to take part in the activities put on by the church, as well as attend services should it be requested of me. My second strategy will be to keep my heart open. As I said before, I believe in the work that I am doing and the good that I am achieving. I want to learn as much from the community as I plan to teach and share with them, and the only way to find that perfect balance is to recognize the power of love. By keeping yourself open, you exhibit acceptance, understanding, and compassion. I am certain that I will receive from my host community as much love as I bestow upon them.

Your strategy for adapting to a new culture with respect to your own cultural background…

In adapting to a new a culture, one thing to bear in mind is that my cultural norms are not likely to be the same as their cultural norms. Part of my strategy for adapting to Jamaica’s culture is participating in church-related activities, or activities hosted by the church. I would willingly and happily attend services, should it be asked of me, and I have no quarrels about practicing religious traditions as a member of my new community. I also plan on asking a lot of questions. I’ve always learned best through dialogue, so I intend to engage my fellow Jamaicans so that I may get to know him or her, the culture, and the ways of the land. I am excited to have an opportunity to live, work, and experience life the way Jamaicans do. Lastly, I intend to write. My writing is as important to me as it is to breathe. I see the potential for a story everywhere I go, and in everyone that I meet. I experience life through seeing the bigger picture, and that makes me appreciate it all the more. I commit my writing to memory; I know that the friendships I will make and the lives that I will touch during my Peace Corps service will never be forgotten.

The skills and knowledge you hope to gain during pre-service training to best serve your future community and project…

I am as eager to learn a new language as I am to teach one. I hope that by accumulating a new vocabulary, I can draw comparisons that will help me develop lesson plans. I understand that Patois is a spoken dialect and that I am responsible for introducing the English language to my students. I hope to learn about the family dynamics in Jamaica, and the strength that education plays in the community. This knowledge will allow me to be more successful in my endeavor to build parent-teacher relationships. During my PST I would like to develop the skills necessary to work alongside Jamaican educators in my community. I believe that learning these skills and lessons will help me play a more beneficial role in the education system.

How you think Peace Corps service will influence your personal and professional aspirations after your service ends…

I can’t be certain of exactly what I’d like to do when my Peace Corps service ends, but I know that it will be a career involving children. I’ve always had a love for being a role model and sharing my knowledge and experience. Children are our future, and it is rewarding to know that I can play a hand in their development. I can see myself teaching in a classroom, but I can also see myself teaching in different capacities. My passion for horseback riding presents one alternative career path. My adoration for summer sleep-away camps presents another. I have aspirations of becoming a summer camp director of my own program in years to come. The skills that I will acquire during my Peace Corps service will provide me with the ability to create my own program, or strengthen an existing one. Summer camps are like foreign communities in their own regard, because they have traditions and customs that are unique to each individual establishment. Learning how to play a vital role in the community would be of great benefit in preparing me for my own camp program.