In mid April, I was finally medically cleared. But that's not the end of the vaccinations. Once I get there, I will be given 5 more series of shots (Hep A, Hep B, Rabies, Typhoid, and Meningococcal) if I haven't received them already.
Staging for Mongolia will take place on May 29 in San Fransisco at the Parc 55 hotel. It will be an evening full of ice breakers and expectations. We will then leave the hotel at 5am the following morning for a flight that leaves at 11am... At least we get a 5 hr layover at Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea before we get to Ulaanbaatar.
So once upon a time, I said I would post my resume and aspiration statements (what I had to send in once I accepted the invitation to join the Peace Corps). You'll find them after the break.
Resume:
Samuel Cohen Sosa
Address
Phone Number/Email
Mongolia
May 29, 2014
Address
Phone Number/Email
Mongolia
May 29, 2014
EXPERIENCE
·
Youth Conservation Corps Crew
Leader, US Fish and Wildlife Service
o Supervised
6 YCC crew members in work projects designed to meet refuge needs and
illustrate conservation practices
o Created
conservation awareness while teaching wildlife habitat management techniques
used to fulfill the mission of the NWRS
o Provided supervision,
technical guidance, and direction in all
phases of field projects including trail/road maintenance, fence repair, brush
clearing, basic construction and carpentry, general cleanup activities,
boundary marking, etc
o Reported
daily on the status of work, enrollee progress, and equipment/supply needs
o Assisted
in the educational portion of the enrollees work day by making presentations
and demonstrating environmentally sound work methods
o Instilled
ethics and work place professionalism
·
Biological Science Technician, US
Fish and Wildlife Service
o
Determining
appropriate use of commercial and recreational activities on NWR
o
Determining
compatibility of commercial and recreational activities on NWR
o
Connecting
youth with nature by guiding minority youth summer camp while exploring
wildlife observation, ecology, biology and NWRS mission
o
Connecting
youth with nature through mist netting bats to introduce youth to non-game
species
o
Development
of visitor services plan for future trails and environmental education kiosks
o
Preparing
youth fishing rodeo by accessing fish populations
o
Conducting
youth fishing rodeo to introduce 65 youth to one of the Big Six activities
o Packed
and prepared gear, food and other items necessary for a remote field camp
o Lived and
worked in an extremely isolated, remote field camp with primitive living
conditions
·
Boy
Scout Summer Camp Instructor, Boy Scouts of America
o
Taught
150 scouts over a period of five weeks the following merit badges:
Environmental Science, Soil and Water Conservation, and Bird Study
o
Lived
and worked in a remote environment with primitive living conditions
o
Performed
general camp maintenance
o
Promoted
connecting people with nature by organizing and running a weekly nature themed
scavenger hunt
·
Front
End Supervisor, The Kroger Co.
o Helped with customer
relations by providing fast service with returns/refunds and miscellaneous
products: Kentucky lottery, tobacco products, Western Union Money Transfers and
Ticketmaster tickets
o Supervised 30 Cashiers/Baggers
by helping with any problems and ensuring breaks/lunches are on time
o Helped train
associates with checklanes/U-Scan and front office computers
o Assisted with
various local and regional outreach projects such as the March of Dimes and
Fire Safety Awareness
·
Other
Experiences
o
Organized
and ran a blood donation event at a local high school in conjunction with the
American Red Cross
o
Organized
and ran a coat drive for local food pantry recipients
o
Assisted
with running a local food pantry
EDUCATION
2008 – 2012 College of Agriculture,
Interdisciplinary Program
University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
40502
·
B.S.,
Bachelor of Science Degree, Natural Resource Conservation and Management
Minor: Biology
TRAINING
·
First Aid Training American
Heart Association June 2013
·
Adult and Child AED Training American
Heart Association June 2013
·
Adult and Infant CPR Training American
Heart Association June 2013
·
The No Fear Act Training USDOI 2013
·
Ethics Orientation USDOI 2013
FOREIGN LANGUAGES
- Spanish – 3 semesters in High School both Instructor taught and Independent Study
PERSONAL INTERESTS/HOBBIES
·
Hiking
·
Camping
·
Environmental
Activism
·
Sustainable
Living
·
Traveling
·
Sports
Aspirations:
ASPIRATION
STATEMENT
Samuel Cohen Sosa
Mongolia
May 29, 2014
A.
Three professional attributes that I plan on
using is my work ethic, self-motivation, and my ability to solve problems. I
have a very strong work ethic often telling my supervisor there aren’t enough
hours in the day. On several occasions I have worked 12+ hours a day monitoring
endangered species and preparing roosting cavities. Something that goes along
with my work ethic is when I start working on a project, I want to continue to
work on it until it is finished. This could mean I work for several days to
make sure a file on ArcGIS is up to date and ready to be plugged into a bigger
program or working for several weeks removing invasive bamboo using a pair of
loppers. I am self-motivated, starting projects that haven’t necessarily been
assigned to me. I have often taken charge of projects at the very start such as
working on miscellaneous projects that need to be completed such as rehabbing
body grip traps and creating water control structure board holders. I can come
up with several ideas on how to accomplish the job.
I think these attributes will
help me throughout my service by hopefully providing me with a sense of
accomplishment knowing I have done everything I possibly could to try to assist
the people I will be living and working with over the next two years. I want to
set a good example for the youth I will be helping and hopefully give them a
positive role model.
B.
I want to try to learn Mongolian as quickly as
possible so I can provide a good first impression within the community I will
be living and working. It is often hard to overcome a bad first impression and
if I know the language it will be a big step in the right direction. I have
found it is easier to ask for help once you have helped someone than to blindly
ask. One of the strategies I plan to use with working effectively with host
country partners is helping with the partners during one of their projects in
the beginning and every so often throughout the service. It will help me get to
know the partners more and give the partners a chance to know me and what I
plan on doing. I plan on asking for assistance, either by asking questions or
asking for bodies, throughout my service.
C.
One of the things that make the USA a great
country to live in is the melting pot of cultures. Throughout my life I have
celebrated several cultures by having parties and learning about different
cultures throughout school and religious activities. The biggest takeaway I
have from all those experiences is to get out and experience the culture. When
I arrive in Mongolia, I want to experience Mongolia as soon as the plane lands.
While there is the inevitable culture shock, I think the best way to adapt to a
culture is to talk to the people and share their culture.
D.
I think the most important skill I want to learn
from my pre-service training is learning Mongolian. This will help me
tremendously in connecting with the people within my community. I also would
like to know how to better connect with children. While adults may be
intimidating for children (depending on the age), I want to learn how to
effectively communicate with them and encourage participation long after I have
left. On the same note, I want to learn skills on how to encourage adults to
take an interest in what their children and others. The biggest role model for
children regardless of age is their parents. It is going to be imperative to
teach parents to be not only a positive role model but a source of positive
encouragement.
E.
I believe my service in the Peace Corps will
influence my personal life by providing one of the biggest challenges I have
faced. This experience will help me to not take things for granted and will
instill a larger sense of responsibility within my own community back home. I
believe my Peace Corps service will influence me professionally by helping me
communicate with people. I plan on continuing to be in a natural resource
related field after my service and one of the biggest ways for people to learn
is by encouraging participation from the public. I want to help make people
care for the environment before it disappears.
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