Aspiration Statement

Aspiration Statement

Jamie Torres

Namibia, Africa

A.

The first professional attribute that I plan to utilize is communication. I consider good communication to be vital in most, if not all situations. Having good communication with my colleagues and future community can help to elevated the relationship and trust we have as a team. I want my host community to know they can come to me at any time to express any needs or ask any questions that may develop. Communication happens on a variety of levels. Just as speech and/or written language is communication, so is listening. I take pride in having an open ear and mind to listen to what others express to me. With solid communication on all levels, I can help assure my community that their words are not just getting lost in the oblivion.

The second professional attribute I plan to exercise is compassion. Compassion, just as any attitude, is contagious. I want to infect my community with an open heart and empathy to what is needed and desired. I want to prove to my community that I am here to be of service in whichever way I can. I aspire for the community to know that the person teaching their children truly cares about their success and academic development. By sharing my compassion with my future community, I hope to gain their respect and trust as a new member so we can all offer a hand to each other.

The third, but not final attribute I will exercise is time management. In understanding my responsibilities as a Peace Corps Volunteer it is evident that I will need to utilize my time well, not only for my classroom success, but also for the success of secondary projects, and my own self-care. Though this may appear as intimidating to some, I believe with organization and balance this is not a challenge impossible to over come. I know this function is not something that will begin upon arrival, because it has already begun in preparing for departure. 

B.

Being adaptive is the first strategy I intend on implementing to meet my country partners’ needs. Life as a Peace Corps Volunteer will be a new and life-changing experience; therefore being flexible to what may come will be essential to meeting the needs of my community. Experiencing a new lifestyle will require having not only an open mind, but having a heart to accommodate to their needs. This is a culture not of my own and I know their traditions and norms will not be that of which I grew up with. In my opinion, this is one of many benefits of being a Peace Corps Volunteer and one of my primary aspirations in wanting to serve. Willingness to learn not only opens new doors, but also helps to make one more approachable for the country partners to express their needs.

Teamwork will be the second strategy. We all should be willing to work hand in hand in order to achieve the highest results possible. I aspire for those involved to not only want to be a part of the team, but be a proud member of the team. I am well aware I may need to do some assignments myself, that doesn’t necessarily mean I need to do it alone; this is where I hope to bring in the community for us to work together. 

C.

My strategy for adapting to a new culture is taking the initiative to be involved with the community. I believe a bulk of the responsibility will be up to me to get to know the area, the people, their needs, culture, likes, dislikes, and lifestyle. My strategy is to show the community the passion I have to be of service as an educator, volunteer, neighbor, and new comer in the community. I hope to achieve this by attending community events, learning traditions, and asking questions of the locals. I also believe this can be achieved by utilizing the resources available to me such as the natives and fellow Peace Corp Volunteer who can offer advice. This is an area where I feel secondary projects are prosperous because it provides an opportunity to develop my relationship with the community further.  I also plan on honoring my own needs by implementing managing time for my own self-care, either through private practice or by sharing my culture with those interested. I want my community and I to have an intertwined relationship where we value each others’ differences. I believe this can be achieved through trust. I hope to gain their trust by showing the community my dedication to serve.  

D.

The first skill I hope to acquire during training is language proficiency. I feel that a primary way to connect with my future community is being able to communicate effectively. I would not want hinder my relationship with the community due to an inability to simply talk with locals. Whether this is in a profession setting, or simply getting to know the community, I want to be able to adequately communicate and adapt to their life style rather than the community adapting to my language needs. I am also eager to learn about my host’s community’s culture, norms, and lifestyle. 

I also aim to develop techniques in which I can become a successful volunteer. Though I do have experience Teaching English abroad I know that there are always new approaches that can be learned. I want to learn about techniques and lessons that have proven to be beneficial for the students. I also feel it is important for me to learn about my own health and safety needs so that I can implement this in my life skills lessons.

E.

My essential goal following service in Peace Corps is to inspire others. Upon completion, I would like to continue teaching and motivate my future students to chase their own dreams and hopefully extend their hand to another in return. I know this will be a life altering experience that will be challenging, but will also help me grow on multiple levels. I hope to develop a greater appreciation for the world around me, and affection for lifestyles not of my upbringing. I postulate that one of the best ways to honor my host community is to use what I have learned there to continue forward to succor more people. I don’t think service is complete after 27 months; as this will be a life altering experience that I plan to appreciate for the rest of my life.  I also am considering applying for graduate school in hopes of gaining my Masters in Education. My little sister once described me by saying,  “she may be small, but she is going to do big things”. I want to live up to that statement and believe that by implementing the lessons I learn as a Peace Corps Volunteer I will fulfill that personal goal.