The professional attributes that I plan to use, and what aspirations I hope to fulfill, during my Peace Corps service.
Having graduated from college with an International Business degree and a concentration in finance I believe I have a good base of knowledge that will serve me well while working with the CED. My internship with the Bolivian Land Titling Project gave me a chance to work in and see how an effective development project is run. I will use these tools and knowledge to the best of my ability. Talking to RPCVs one thing that I have taken away is that Peace Corps requires patience and an open mind. I understand that working with my local resources whether they be people or assets will be integral in the success of my Peace Corps service. Being young with limited professional experience I think may serve me well as I am aware that I don't know everything and am always ready to learn, no matter what the source. Something else I have taken away from talking with RPCVs is that I should try my best to not have too many expectations. I see the importance in keeping my aspirations realistic as change may be slow and difficult to achieve. My main aspiration is to be the best Peace Corps Volunteer that I can be soaking in as much as I can in a new and exciting environment. I hope to foster trust and understanding between myself and my community then contribute in any way I can.
What I think will be the key to working effectively with host country partners is establishing patience first, then understanding and finally trust. Trust is not easy to build and change cannot come without it. With the amount of tourism Costa Rica receives I imagine most Costa Ricans have a pre-conceived notion as to what Americans are like. I will certainly face challenges in breaking down these stereotypes and forming genuine relationships with my Costa Rican counterparts. No matter what the situation I will be a hard worker and hopefully gain the respect of my co-workers. I hope to partner up with others and work together to find solutions to benefit the community.
Adapting to a new culture is not new to me. Being the son of an American father and Bolivian mother, I have grown up toeing the line between cultures. Unfortunately I have not grown up speaking Spanish and have learned it the same way as everyone else, in school. When I was sixteen I spent a summer attending school in Paraguay, as the only American student I had no choice but to adapt. In 2007 I studied abroad in Spain followed immediately by my internship in Bolivia. I like change, it is during these times in my life when I have felt the most alive. After such experiences I have found that no matter where I go, people are just that, people, some are funny, some are quiet, some are laid back and some are uptight. I have never had a problem adjusting, I am somewhat outgoing and am not very reserved. I have found that letting my personality shine through while actively trying to respect local ideals and customs to be instrumental when adapting to a new culture.
While in pre-service training my main goal is to develop a good base of technical skills that will put me in a position to succeed during service. I hope to have these abilities developed to the point that I feel not only competent but confident when entering the field. I know that a lot of my learning will probably occur on the job but I do want to have firm platform on which to build. Fine tuning my Spanish will be important. While I have an excellent base in the language it has been some time since I have been fully immersed in it and I am sure it will take some time to adjust to the Costa Rican dialect. I have heard from RPCVs that there may be some difficult unforeseen situations that I may witness or be involved with during service. Learning some techniques to deal with such situations beforehand would put me more at ease if for some reason I find myself in a difficult position.
After Peace Corps my professional aspirations will probably be the same they have always been, to pursue a career in economic development. The manner in which I pursue this goal may take many different forms. Whether I find a job in the US, stay in Costa Rica or go back to school to get my MBA, I am sure that I will have left the Peace Corps with a broader perspective and having grown as a person. Regardless of what I do I am sure that I will take the lessons I have learned from the Peace Corps and use them in every day life. Even if it is just taking the time to appreciate all that I have I know that I will have left the Peace Corps a changed person, probably for the better.
