ASPIRATION STATEMENT
Bryan Dodd
Ghana
June 1, 2010
The time has come and now I have to put my words into action. I started the Peace Corps process over a year ago while a friend and I were having a relaxing conversation one afternoon. We were contemplating where our lives were going. I had just recently been laid off from a company where I had worked for 2 years, and I was struggling with the next step in my life. I had always heard of the Peace Corps but did not know exactly what it entailed and the responsibilities involved. From then on, I completed the necessary paperwork, and now almost a year later I am actually writing my Aspiration Statement. If you had asked me a year ago if I would be in this situation, I would have said “probably not.” However, I feel now sitting here today that I now have direction and meaning in my life for the first time in years and feel overwhelmed with excitement, hesitation, and nervousness which to me means that I am doing the right thing.
Since I received my invitation to Ghana a week ago, I have tried to imagine what my new life will bring, but find it impossible to visualize. I look forward to sharing the information I have and what I have learned growing up in the United States. I hope to expand my worldly and cultural knowledge, and developing skills that most will not be fortunate enough to experience. As of now my expectations, goals and objectives include:
A. I fully expect to bring leadership skills, my education in and out of the classroom, the ability to identify problems, to help with problem solving and motivation skills to get the best out of people. I have many aspirations including finding a different perspective on life, learning a new culture and language, developing passions and knowledge that will help me when I return home. Also, gaining friendships and relationships that will last a lifetime, helping and working hard for the Ghanaians that are hosting me along with the others taken into their homes and villages.
B. My main strategy for working effectively with host partners is to go into the Peace Corps with an open mind and the willingness to work, learn and teach people that I come in contact with. I will work diligently to meet the expressed needs of the host and hope for the best outcome for everyone.
C. I am open to the new cultural backgrounds that will surround me in Ghana. I feel the knowledge that comes with being immersed in a new culture is a life changing experience. You have a distinct opportunity to learn how people live, learn and interact. I will face all my new situations with the understanding that I have different background and/or beliefs and be willing to adapt and learn as much as I can, so that we can become more comfortable with each other and able to communicate.
D. The PST will help me with the above questions by gaining knowledge on the cultural beliefs, language, and the way of doing things. This will help me become more aware of how to handle situations that I will immediately encounter and enable me to react accordingly. It will help to gain communication skills, so that I am able to serve the people of my village. Also, I hope to gain knowledge on what exactly is expected of me as related to Agroforestry and as an Alternative Livelihood Facilitator. With this knowledge, I will have clear path of what is expected of me.
E. The Peace Corp. will affect my life in so many ways, most unimaginable at this time. I believe it will be much clearer to me when I return home. I feel I will have a keener sense of my career path when I have completed my 27 months of service. I truly believe I will return to the United States a better, wiser person in so many ways. It will help me gain a new perspective on life and a new outlook on my future.
