Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
My name is Jessica Chen and I am 18 years old.
I recently graduated from the Gymnasium Süderelbe in Hamburg with my A-levels. I am applying for a voluntary service in Asia because I am eager to improve my perseverance and develop myself further.
What motivates me to participate in volunteer work is the aspect that it encourages people from all over the world to come together as one. It startles me every time how the smallest differences, such as table manners, can appear foreign and divide people into various classes. I come to realize each time that we are all coming from the same basis, which should always be more important than our differences.
Growing up in Germany with a Chinese migration background, \"East meets West\" has always been the motto of my family. We learn through each other continuously and share the differences and similarities of our cultures and societies. There are days where my grandparents and my cousin will start from comparing the prices of bread in the Chinese and German supermarkets to contemplating about the actual purpose of life. My background has helped me gain an immense appreciation for the Western view on freedom in education. While my relatives have to struggle with the pressure of their teachers and parents, I am accustomed to the ability to make my own choices about my future. I envision it to be as enriching as possible for myself and others, knowing that it is in my own responsibility to create it. This is why the opportunity to spend time abroad and to take action for others voluntarily seems very valuable to me.
The Asian and European influences have had a great impact on my life and the understanding of my surroundings. It has always helped my personal development to be able to see the same issues from different angles. Especially my ability to feel empathy has been improved by this, which I consider as one of my greatest strengths. To understand the reasons why the person that first appears strange to us acts in a certain way can only benefit us. Often there are causes such as a strict family, a rough past or simply a different education that we were not able to see at first sight. This lesson to always question people’s behavior first instead of judging them directly is very important to me. I pursue to reach a broader understanding of the world on my journey in Thailand and am looking forward to having an impact on the lives of other individuals. Knowing that my family will always support me, I want to take that encouragement and give it back to others in need.
I am suitable for the volunteer work because I am highly experienced in travelling abroad. In my past I have been to Asia several times. For instance, I have often travelled to China and also have been to India for two weeks during a school exchange in 2013. Thus the hot and humid weather, the tropical insects, the food and the living standards are all something I have experienced and am physically and mentally prepared for. In addition to this, I have a good knowledge in Chinese since I went to Chinese school on Sundays for 12 years. I recently achieved the HSK 4 diploma. On top of this, my French knowledge is certified with the DELF B1 and I have also studied Spanish in school for four years. While German is my native language I consider English to be my second strongest language and they were both my favorite subjects at school. Over the past two years, I have tutored several students in German, French and English and earned professional teaching experience by leading the Chinese Club at my school.
My Chinese Club was founded in 2015 with the support of my principle. The intention was to encourage the students to learn more about the East-Asian culture. My Club had up to twenty students and incorporated many creative tasks since I find that it is easiest to pick up new information when it is compact and visualized. The key in my teaching method was to stress the equal relationship between the participants and me since the learning atmosphere should feel safe and casual. By joining in the tasks and by exchanging our encounters with the Chinese culture on our daily basis, we got to know each other well. The teamwork was always successful and full of laughter. My students were able to introduce new participants to our topics up to the point where they led their own lesson once. I am confident that my ability to organize and to create can be applied and strengthened by working abroad.
Due to my interest for global issues and languages, I attended the profile “Language and Culture” in my Gymnasium where my core subjects were history and the bilingual subject Politics, Society and Economics. This combination of subjects was very helpful for me to visualize the common areas where issues, facts and theories would overlap. It was easy for me to work with a complex topic and to break it down into the basic information. The content in my profile has given me expanded background knowledge about cultures, countries and clashes between societies. As a consequence, I am more aware of the present social, political and economic climate in the world and often find myself reflecting on the reasons. I feel fortunate to have grown up in a welfare state because I am a big equality advocate. In my opinion we cannot be free from injustice until everybody has equal opportunities in life. In my opinion the volunteer work is incredibly important and rewarding because it has a direct impact on the lives of individuals.
I hope to be able to contribute with my positive mindset to the projects. Your programms present me with the unique opportunity to dedicate my time to people in need and self-growth. I appreciate your consideration.
Sincerely,
Jessica Chen
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