Initial Expectations of Peace Corps Service

I hope that my Peace Corps experience remains true to the slogan “toughest job you’ll ever love”.  I want to be challenged, and I fully expect that my years of service will be filled with occupational and social difficulties.  I’m excited about the prospects of learning something new, and teaching what I know to those who can benefit from it.  I look forward to fully representing the United States by using my talents to contribute to the community.

I hope that over the course of my project many Tongan youths will become passionate about computers and find new ways to adapt them to their needs. I doubt that I’ll have the latest technology, but I’m certain that it won’t be difficult to find subtle ways in which technology can enhance the lives of those around me.  I anticipate that it may be difficult for me to teach things that I’ve taken for granted, and that there is a chance that I won’t be able to show people how software works hands-on (possibly due to a lack of enough computers).  I know that the project is unstructured and while that may make things difficult, it will offer me a great deal of flexibility.  I enjoy taking creative approaches to accomplish my goals.

I intend to do everything in my power to become a contributing member of my community. Although I am not Christian, I will attend church every Sunday if they will let me, and I will adhere to their principles of law and clothing. I have no preconceived notions of what my lifestyle will be, and I don’t need any special accommodations to enjoy my time in Tonga. I’ve spent most of my life moving from different communities, and I don’t expect that this experience will be any different. I’ve always been a minority in both ethnicity and religion, and I think I would be less comfortable if that wasn’t the case. I’ve spent a lot of time researching Polynesian lifestyles, and I’m very excited about integrating portions of the Tongan culture into my own routines.  I expect to have no problems blending into the community.

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