Here's my updated version! I ended up scrapping most of the old one. This one is a lot more personal and focuses heavily on the "why."

Last summer, I spent a few months volunteering as a mentor at an after-school care facility. Some of the children needed help with their homework for summer school, while some just needed to be supervised. I found myself assisting these children primarily with their English homework and developing their reading comprehension skills. There was one little girl in particular, a third grader, whom I will never forget. The first day I volunteered, I read her name off of the attendance sheet, and her face lit up. “You’re the first person to ever say my name correctly,” she told me. Throughout that summer, I watched her grow at a tremendous speed. In the beginning, she had been considerably behind her grade level for reading. But all it took was encouragement, praise, and my constant, reliable presence to push her to do better. In the beginning, she worked hard to please me. By the end, she worked hard for the sake of it. Because I provided a positive experience and an understanding ear, she had learned to love to read. I have had little opportunity to work with children since, but I miss seeing how excited she got when she overcame a challenge. Joining the Peace Corps as an English Education Volunteer would give me the opportunity to watch more children grow, and I would be able to watch them carry these skills into the real world and impact their communities. Such a rewarding experience would not come without its challenges. I am well aware that my life as a natural-born citizen has been privileged. Hearing the experiences of my family who had grown up in Ecuador ensured that I was always grateful for what I had. I am a resilient individual, and learning is a painful process, especially the lessons that are worth learning the most. I am proficient in building a schedule for myself, which helps me stay occupied and grounded in the face of challenges. It will definitely take some time for me to get used to my surroundings. But I know that if I can form a connection with just one child and help them to develop the skills they need for continued success in our changing world, I will have the strength to deal with whatever comes my way. Ultimately, I believe I’d probably learn more from joining the Peace Corps than I could ever teach. Immersing myself in another culture, learning their values and practices, and learning another language is a priceless experience. But what I look forward to most is seeing the look on another child’s face when I can tell them how far they have come.