Aspiration Statement

My Aspiration Statement for my Peace Corps Madagascar assignment identifies my strategies and expectations for training and service.


»Identify three professional attributes that you plan to use during your Peace Corps service and how these will help meet your aspirations and commitment to service.

Resourcefulness, diligence, and communication skills are three professional attributes I plan to utilize in my Peace Corps service. I hope to be resourceful by finding creative solutions, seeking opportunities, and networking with others. In diligence, I will strive to
apply myself and persevere to achieve goals. Going beyond language skills, I want to communicate in a way that clearly shares thoughts, plans, and expectations with those I work with.

My desire is that my resourcefulness, diligence, and communication skills will help me serve in a way that enhances lives and facilitates peace. To accomplish this, I will seek to channel these attributes to cultivate practical, efficient, and quality work. I will also use them to develop meaningful relationships with those I work and live with.

»Briefly identify two strategies for working effectively with host country partners to meet expressed needs.

One of my strategies for working effectively with host country partners is to seek understanding of Malagasy culture. In understanding the culture context, I will be able to best present myself and shape my work to be relevant and effective. A second and conjunctive strategy is to be involved and invested in the community. Collaboration, networking, and relationship building will make projects better meet expressed needs.  

»Your strategy for adapting to a new culture with respect to your own cultural background.

I plan to culturally adapt by striving to learn about Malagasy culture with an eager and open mind. In doing this, I do not anticipate my own identity to either be lost or become a major barrier to building relationships. I expect cultural adaption and integration to be challenging, but also exciting and overall beneficial. I believe that keeping a positive outlook on my new culture setting is a key part to making my strategy successful. This has been true in past experiences of traveling to Thailand and Haiti.

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

In pre-service training, I anticipate deepening my knowledge and skills in Malagasy culture, agriculture, language, economics, politics, education, and health. I specifically hope to learn more about Malagasy agriculture for developing adaptive technique and income generation programs. I believe my agriculture projects will be more successful if I support them with knowledge in other areas and learn how they fit together in the big picture.

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

Community involvement and service to others are a part of my life goals, and I plan to continue engaging in various forms of service throughout my life. I think Peace Corps service will grow my skills and be a valuable experience that will help me better serve in the future. I also think that living in a cross-cultural environment with the Peace Corps will be an opportunity for me to develop more skills in learning from people different than me and bridging social gaps. I think this would lead me to continue building strong and healthy relationships with others on both professional and personal levels.