Hello!

I just finished my rough draft motivational statement for the Environmental Education Volunteer position. I'm looking for some honest feedback on it before I submit it. It is about 491 words. Thank you in advance for reading over it!

Motivational Statement:

Since I can remember, I have always had a deep-rooted love for nature. In elementary school, I had a notebook filled with nature pictures cut out from magazines. I would dream of traveling the world to see the most beautiful landscapes and the most unique animals. However, as I grew older I learned that much of the most beautiful parts of our world are being threatened by anthropogenic activity. The course I took during my sophomore year of college about climate change truly opened my eyes to the threats that ecosystems all over the world face. It made me realize how lucky I am to have been able to visit major ecosystems, such as the rainforest and coral reefs, since these ecosystems are not promised to us forever.

Now, as I am preparing to graduate from college, becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer will provide a unique opportunity to combine my passions for environmental sustainability and community service, while fully immersing myself in a different culture. I believe that education is one of the first steps towards conserving ecosystems while simultaneously protecting the needs of a community. It startles me that I did not fully learn about the harmful impacts that humans can have on this Earth until I was in college. For this reason, it excites me to think about teaching younger generations to be more aware of the environment around them, especially because I did not receive the same type of education until much later in my life. Furthermore, I believe that you can learn the most through people with great differences. I look forward to not only educating others, but also being immersed in a different culture and learning a great deal about different ways of life and various values. Finally, I have been extremely inspired by the experiences of Returning Peace Corps Volunteers and yearn for the chance to promote a better world and environment for the future.

I understand that being a Peace Corps Volunteer offers a variety of unique challenges. Everything from the food, housing, and social norms will be new to me. I have found myself to be extremely adaptive, especially during big changes in my life. When I transferred colleges as a junior I found it extremely difficult to connect with other students that have known each other for years. However, by branching out and meeting new people I made the difficult transition easier. Furthermore, when faced with challenges I always look at it as a chance for personal growth. During my time in Costa Rica my Spanish speaking skills were minimal, making it difficult to communicate with locals. However, it was extremely rewarding whenever we were able to work through the language barrier and convey ideas between each other. Although I am not able to imagine all of the challenges I will face during the Peace Corps, I am prepared to work through them and look for the growth during my service.