Peace Corps Motivation Statement

Motivation Statement Peace Corps service presents major physical, emotional, and intellectual challenges. You have provided information on how you qualify for Peace Corps service elsewhere in the application. In the space below, please provide a statement (between 250-500 words) that includes: 1) Your reasons for wanting to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer; and2) How these reasons are related to your past experiences and life goals. Until recently, I thought that to serve my country would mean to be trained how to handle a weapon. Since learning about the Peace Corps, I now want to serve my country as an ambassador for peace. To serve one’s country is an honor and privilege that is bestowed on a chosen few. After volunteering for many organizations serving others in ways such as feeding the homeless, walking 5Ks to raise funds, or mentoring at-risk youths, I have first-hand knowledge of how rewarding it is to help those who are less fortunate than I am. Mostly, the reward for me is whatever they can give me: a smile, a hug, or shedding tears as they thank me for helping them. Just knowing that I have changed someone else’s life in my own simple way is enough for me. Also, being in the education service I know how much others can achieve after first gaining some form of education. My life goal has been to teach others basic knowledge in order for them to help themselves. In his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Elie Wiesel urged his listeners to never give up fighting for human rights. He said, “One person of integrity can make a difference, a difference of life and death…. As long as one child is hungry, our life will be filled with anguish and shame. What all these victims need above all is to know that they are not alone; that we are not forgetting them, that when their voices are stifled we shall lend them ours….” It is my life’s goal to give a voice to children. This is why I started my own education business. At this point, joining the Peace Corps will give me an outlet to help others. Through education, the community, individuals, and the children, will have a voice. I believe peace is not obtained through war, but through compassion and understanding of each other’s plight.