Graduate / "Born American, spoken Spanish" - Peace Corps Essay One [3]

I just finished my first draft and would love any input!

Although I was born an American, I have always spoken Spanish with my family, I crave arepas con queso as comfort food, and I learned how to dance salsa on my father's feet. Being a first-generation American whose parents worked to start their lives over, learn a new language and acculturate from a small, struggling country to life in a world power has given me a complex perspective on the world. Because of my cross-cultural experience, I have developed not only the ability, but the desire to relate to different types of people and serve as a liaison between groups and cultures. I have been extremely lucky throughout my life in that I have been given opportunities that allowed me to achieve much more than is likely given my family background. Transcending socioeconomic classes has made me aware of social inequalities and given me the desire to work towards a more egalitarian future. My appreciation for the incredible opportunities I have been granted compels me to give back by helping others from underserved populations and drives me to work to mitigate the vast inequalities that exist both in the US and throughout the world. My upbringing has given me a curiosity about other cultures, an inclination towards social service, and a desire to be part of change towards a more egalitarian world. Serving as a Peace Corps volunteer would allow me to satisfy these aspirations while gaining valuable experience and broadening my world-view.

When I graduated from college in 2009, I had the same motivations, but I lacked a specific direction. In the year since I graduated, I have been working for an organization that helps talented and motivated Black and Latino students gain admission into independent schools and supports them through until college matriculation. Working at * has been a tremendous experience for me, especially since I went through the program myself and I can understand the impact that this opportunity can have on these students' lives. At the same time, I have also been pursuing my interest in public health by volunteering at a health clinic for the uninsured and in March, I had the opportunity to volunteer in Carrefour, Haiti at a clinic opened after the January earthquake. My volunteer experience in Carrefour cemented for me that public health and community development through education are the issues that ignite my passion. Since returning from my first trip to Haiti, I have been involved with a group of public health students at NYU who began a group to continue doing public health work in Haiti and in the future will help other areas struck by natural disasters. A group of us returned to Carrefour in August where we worked at the same primary healthcare clinic again, but also taught public health education classes, conducted a preliminary needs assessment survey, and collaborated with community leaders to develop ideas for how to rebuild and improve their communities. We are currently working on several projects together with local organizations in Carrefour and hope to continue and strengthen our relationship with this community. While my short trips to Haiti were life-changing, they also made me wish I could stay longer so that I could really learn the language and incorporate myself into the community as opposed to just being a visitor and trying to contribute from abroad. Through the Peace Corps, I would have the opportunity to volunteer in a truly unique way, completely immersed in a different culture, and integrating into and serving my host community.

This fall, I will be applying to Masters of Public Health (MPH) programs with Masters International programs. The combination of a graduate degree in Public Health and the experience I would gain in the Peace Corps would help me develop the skills necessary to produce sustainable change in communities such as Carrefour and throughout the world. While I am applying to the Peace Corps and MPH programs simultaneously, I would still be honored to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer if I am not accepted into a master's program.