Aspiration Statement

After acceptance into the Peace Corps, all invitees must write an aspiration statement detailing their reasons for joining and what they hope to learn while overseas. This is mine. Enjoy :)

Aspiration Statement
Name: Chad EricksonCountry of Service: Armenia
Departure Date: May 27, 2010

A. The professional attributes that you plan to use, and what aspirations you hope to fulfill, during your Peace Corps service.

Growing up in a small Midwestern town in Michigan and then moving to attend college in Miami, Florida has shown me two very distinct and different lifestyles. The cultural diversity, heterogeneous blend of people from all over the world, and heavy Latin American and Caribbean influence in Miami taught me to appreciate the differences that make us unique and the commonalities that bind us together. Working in a Four Diamond Hotel that stresses being authentically local, embracing travelers from all over the world, and working together in teams helped build some of the skills needed to succeed in the Peace Corps. Outside of my professional experience, I have also spent ample time tutoring middle school students who do not speak English as a first language. Working with ESL (English as a Second Language) students, some of which speak no English, helped me gain a level of patience that I did not believe possible. Patience, understanding, cultural sensitivity and appreciation are the traits that I believe will help me succeed in the Peace Corps.Since I have begun talking about the Peace Corps to my friends and family, I have inevitably been asked, “Why the Peace Corps?” I simply state, “I want to do something positive for the world and I can not think of a better way to do that than by giving myself completely to a third world country and helping someone there become better equipped to fulfill their dreams. I understand that change will be slow, and that I will probably not accomplish everything I set out to do. In the least, however, I know I will have tried my hardest to create an everlasting change.

B. Your strategies for working effectively with host country partners to meet expressed needs.

Working with people of different cultural backgrounds was one of the most appealing aspects of Peace Corps service. When I moved to Miami, I faced a lot of the same obstacles I will be facing when moving to Armenia. Though I am not an expert, I am no longer a rookie when it comes to embracing a new culture. Listening to the advice given to me by my host country partners will show that I respect them and their culture. I will ask questions, be inquisitive, and attentive. I have always worked well in groups, adapting my personality and leadership style to suit the group. I am not the kind of person who expects anyone to conform strictly to suit me, but I am the one who will always acclimate myself to the needs of the group.

C. Your strategies for adapting to a new culture with respect to your own cultural background.

Maintaining my self-identity while adapting to the Armenian culture will be a fun and challenging experience. I plan on emerging myself in everything Armenian from the instant I arrive. Tasting Armenian foods, speaking Eastern Armenian, and interacting with Armenians will help me gain a strong appreciation for the land where I will be living for the next 27 months. Respecting my own cultural background and teaching my Armenian counterparts about American culture be enjoyable because I will be able to share who I am and where I have came from with people who have never been to America.

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

During pre-service training in Armenia, I am looking forward to learning the local language. Through my research I have learned that the Peace Corps provides one of the best language learning programs in the world. Total immersion in the Armenian culture along with three months of comprehensive language training will be the most beneficial part of pre-service training. As I have almost no experience with the Eastern Armenian language, other than what the Peace Corps provided online once I received my invitation, I feel that I will be able to grasp it fairly well because I know that so much of what I will do in Armenia depends on learning the language. I also hope to gain a better understanding of what it takes to teach English to a group of people that might not speak English at all. Because I will be teaching English as a foreign language, I will need to place heavy emphasis on anything language related throughout my pre-service training.

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

When I return from the Peace Corps, I hope to continue to be a public servant. Money and fame do not interest me as much as helping others and giving them the hope that they can be great. In the materialistic culture of America, so much of who we are as individuals is judged by what we own and how much income we earn. I have never been comfortable with this and I hope the Peace Corps will show me another side of the world where this is not the case. Since the beginning of college, it has been my goal to join the Peace Corps. I did not believe that I would have attained my goal so early in life. The Peace Corps will be the transition to the rest of my life. I hope that my Peace Corps service will show me what I want in life and who I need to become to achieve that unrealized dream of mine.