"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 150-500 words) that includes:"

Why would I like to be in the Peace Corps? The answer is multi-facetted to be sure, however it comes down to seeing how fortunate I am to be born when and where I was. I want to give more people in the world the same opportunities to pursue happiness that I have had.

I know that suffering and poverty is something that most of the world is afflicted with. I believe that there is the possibility for change though and I believe I am capable of helping to make that happen. I also recognize that the world is a vastly interconnected place. No country is an island regardless of what it may look like on the map. Technology is making the potential costs of war higher and higher as new weapons are developed. Finding ways to improve the quality of life for everyone and relieving the economic suffering that underlies so many conflicts is, in my opinion, crucial for any real progress toward lasting peace.

Also, I am 23 years old. I am at a turning point in my life; soon to graduate from college. I have so many opportunities before me and I want to make the right decisions. Being 23 years old and having lived the life that I have, I do not really grasp the magnitude of suffering that many people live with. For me to be choosing the direction of my life when I haven't really experienced this important reality, seems naive; maybe even irresponsible.

I am also preparing to go into graduate school to become a teacher of computer science. My romantic involvements have been getting progressively more serious though. By the time I finish graduate school I could easily have a marriage or child or other responsibilities that make leaving the country (or not having a steady job) more difficult.

I know though that around the world there are people who are born and die never having had the opportunities for self-determination that I find it easy to take for granted. I believe they have the same right to strive for happiness that I have and I as a person who has have a responsibility to those who do not.

I know that I sound idealistic and I have worked with different programs aimed at social activism here. That the wheels of progress turn slowly is not lost on me. I am an intelligent person who adapts well to different situations and I believe I can help make a difference. As naive as it may sound, in all honesty I would like to be in the Peace Corps because I want to try and make a difference in the world.