And so it begins...

So this is my 3rd blog that I've started probably in the last 2 years. However, there is something rather special about this one. This one I'm pretty sure will last, because unlike the others which only had the purpose of relaying the random thoughts which went through my head, this blog has some meaning. This blog will inform you of all of my thoughts, actions, etc. regarding my Peace Corps experience. So let's get started.

I started the application sometime in August when I was actually at my internship. Rather ironic I think but rather fitting. I came across an article in the Washington Post regarding how more college grads were joining teach for america and the peace corps after graduation. I think I always knew about the Peace Corps I just really didn't know exactly what it was. So, I did some research at work and was like...Wow this is exactly what I want to do with my life. Why haven't I found this earlier...After that moment, I've been a little obsessed with the Peace Corps.

I submitted my application on September 9th. The same date that my last reference was submitted (by my best friend Aakash, who in fact was given the information on how to fill out the reference first...its a long story). Anyways, I had my interview in about a week, on the 17th I believe. The interview was really great. It was professional but laid back at the same time. It flew by and she was like...Ok well let's look at some programs for you....it was hard to hold back excitement. So, she was like...I have a program leaving in July/August 2008 for Latin America in Business Advising...exactly what I want!!! I was like ...sign me up. So now I am in fact nominated for that program and waiting on my medical papers to arrive so I can get medically cleared.

As to my reasons for joining the Peace Corps...that post will have to wait a little longer...but let me leave you with my motivation statement....


My Motivation Statement

Endless plastic bags from CVS and 7-11 strewn across the floor, my gym clothes laid out on an un-made bed, an F.C. Sevilla flag just barely hanging on with the help of my weak masking tape, and a laptop computer with a desktop background of me dressed as a "torero" (bullfighter) at Carnaval in Cadiz. This is the scene I come home to everyday after my summer internship at XM radio in Washington D.C. It sounds like the college kid's dream: working at an entertainment company and having the opportunity to see famous performers on any given day. However, a finance internship at XM radio has left me unsatisfied. This feeling has given me pause, and I have begun to reevaluate my direction in life.

My XM internship combined with prior experiences would allow me to compete for positions at highly respected consulting or financial services firms. Still, I wonder if pursuing this path would ultimately be gratifying to me. Though the work of these firms is critical to the world economy and indirectly affects people’s lives, I am looking for an experience that is much more hands-on, with direct access to the people I am trying to help. I know I possess a longing to serve and help people who did not enjoy the opportunities that were available to me or people I know. Volunteering at CentroNía, a non-profit organization which focuses on educating underprivileged youth in D.C., granted me the chance to tutor disadvantaged children in the D.C. school system. This experience was very rewarding and satisfying, and is something I wish to build upon. Furthermore, a position in the Peace Corps would bolster my academic goals, and help turn theory into reality. I am currently studying international business and finance with the hope of having a career in the field of international development. I spent the past semester in Sevilla, Spain where I took business courses in Spanish and lived with a Spanish family. This experience only heightened my awareness and respect for other cultures and customs. In addition, it boosted my desire to obtain more experience in other diverse cultures.

Given my educational background and experience both at home and abroad, I believe that the Peace Corps can provide me with the opportunity to fulfill many of my goals. Serving as a volunteer with the Peace Corps would allow me to share my skills with people who live in an environment where it is very difficult to learn and obtain the skills that I have been able to acquire so easily and readily. Moreover, volunteering at the Peace Corps affords me the prospect of interacting and living in a new culture. In the future, the experience and skills I hope to gain as a Peace Corps volunteer will supply me with a great foundation for a career in international development or in the non-profit sector. For these reasons, I believe that I can learn a great deal as a volunteer in the Peace Corps, and that, in turn, I can become a valuable asset to the Peace Corps.