Graduate / "- A life of living, not earning" - Peace Corps , Essay 1 [3]

I haven't used this service before, but I have read the feedback on other threads and it seems really useful. This is only my first draft, but before I get much further I would love some commentary.

Here is what I wrote in response:

A life of living, not earning
For the past decade, I have been behind a computer screen or hunched over a stack of articles and books, conducting research, compiling case studies and working on reports. However, as a student, a researcher and a policy analyst I have yet to witness the real impact of my work on policy initiatives or on individual lives. What Peace Corps offers is the opportunity to work toward a greater good and to contribute to the social and economic development of a community. And this is something I would to take on and be a part of.

After completing my undergraduate studies, I thought my life's objective was to find and retain gainful employment, or to gain experience that would help me land a high-paying, fancily-titled job. This continued during graduate school, when I took on an internship at a prestigious international organization, with the aspiration of building my résumé and a network of contacts. But part of me had always grappled with the idea of devoting my life to community service and volunteer work, activities that impassioned me.

Only now have I realized that the Peace Corps would give me a profound experience and purpose that can only occur by forming connections within a community and working toward a collective, rather than individualized goal. I have had the Peace Corps application open and partially completed for over two years. But now I am ready to take on the challenge and commit to a life and an experience made out of love, rather than one from a desire for money and prestige.

Coursework in grassroots development, conflict resolution, international relations theory, and teaching theatre in prisons have given me a diverse theoretical background in international development work. This academic experience combined with my philanthropic endeavors of facilitating art classes in juvenile detention centers, teaching English to high school students in rural France, and broad travels have prepared me to adapt to and respond to the challenges that accompany becoming a Peace Corps volunteer. Consequently, I am not particularly concerned about meeting any of the ten core expectations and fulfilling my commitment to the Peace Corps.

However, I think at times, Core Expectation #6 will be difficult - not because I have a difficult time cooperating with others or exchanging knowledge or even due to disrespect. I think this will be challenging because I will be going somewhere with a set objective and assignment, as well as a fixed time, and during this time I will want to effectively accomplish things and fully contribute to the development of the community. I will overcome this challenge by being flexible and open to learning and willing to engage with individuals with backgrounds different from my own.

Given my diverse skill set and vast experiences, I am ready to commit to improving the community of where I am placed, to culturally and socially integrate, to be effective, and to ultimately learn and take part in a cultural exchange.

Graduate / Stepping Out - Peace Corps, Essay 2 [4]

Do I make a persuasive case? And do I fully respond to the essay prompt?

And here is my response:

Teaching and Learning - Stepping out

Two plane rides, one shuttle ride, two bus transfers, and 24 hours later I had arrived in my new town: Apt, France - a small town, surrounded by even smaller villages, with no train station and a limited bus schedule. I knew where I was going and why (to teach English and explore Europe), but I did not know what was going to happen.

And I felt lost the moment I arrived and met the head English teacher, who would be my mentor during the 2006-2007 school year. Although I had taken French classes throughout high school and fulfilled my university's language requirement, I could neither understand what was being said when spoken to nor coherently compose a sentence. Plus no textbook lesson or listening activity could have prepared me for the colloquial, informal French that abounded.

Anxiety and fear consumed me. I was afraid of sounding like a fool, or getting strange looks when my pronunciation was off, or being laughed at for confusing two similarly sounding words. For the first few weeks I was paralyzed by this fear and isolated myself from the school and the community.

However, I knew that if I let fear take over, I would have missed out on experiencing true French culture. Rather than staying holed up in my room, I regularly went to the outdoor farmer's market, attended gallery openings, film festivals and local events, and had drinks at the only bar in town. Through this openness to learn and engage with the local people I created partnerships of mutual exchange.

Through the 8 months, I still made grammatical blunders and on occasion ate with the wrong utensils, but through observation and tactfully posing questions, I managed to adapt to the cultural differences and integrate into the community. Ultimately, my passion for teaching and learning, whether in the traditional classroom setting or by living abroad, is what I will bring as a volunteer to the Peace Corps.