At 34, I have had the opportunity to see what has become for me some of the most critical parts of the world. My experience working at Haiti’s XXXX Hospital for one month in September of 2012 stands center stage among my formative experiences, just as does my visit to the Palestinian territories the previous May. I feel especially at home in Mexico and Spain because I speak the language. In Africa, I have visited Tanzania and Kenya and climbed Kilimanjaro.
I admire the way the current president of the United States got his career of the ground, as a community organizer. In addition to my solid background in youth and family counseling along with the promotion of social justice, I am a strong candidate for your program because of my passion and enthusiasm for addressing community challenges in creative ways. Many of the issues that I hope to address in my career as public administration professional are not that different from the issues that Barack Obama wrestled with as a young community organizer in Chicago, especially with respect to youth and social justice issues. The ____ School is my first choice for graduate study because I consider your customized, accelerated degree program to be the principal flagship innovator among MPH Programs.
I see the XXXX School as the optimal springboard upon which to launch my career in Public Administration and pursue my ideal job as a policy creator and innovator, working and networking in the community towards the goal of greater social and economic justice for some of the most vulnerable members of our society as well as international society. I very much appreciate how the ____ Executive MPA program has a concrete focus on real life issues and a practical curriculum. I keenly look forward to being able to immediately apply what I am learning and develop my skills further in the real-life context of working with an organization. I am especially eager to enhance my skills in strategic financial and organizational management and I particularly admire the work of Dr. XXXX in the areas of program evaluation and performance measurement.
I am at the optimal time in my life to return to full time study on a professional level and to make the very most of the experience, learning as much as I can from mentors and colleagues alike. I am eager to engage in a formal learning atmosphere while I continue to refine my skills on the job. I see my dream of excelling in your program as a natural progression from my professional and volunteer activities so far in my career, taking my dedication to both young people at risk and social justice to new levels that will enable me to maximize my contribution to progressive social change for decades to come.
In 2000, I began my own Seattle based NGO, (XXXX) which now has chapters in Portland and San Francisco. The bulk of my work over the last 15 years has been in education and counseling with youth, from pre-school to foster care teenagers. I grew up in Seattle and once I moved back here 7 years ago, I have vastly expanded my own personal and professional networks of valuable contacts for social solidarity initiatives.
I feel deeply committed to Seattle and will continue to broaden my participation and collaboration with organizations and sub communities that help our city to move forward towards justice and liberation for all that live here. Most recently, I have become involved with the Social Justice Fund, and I am participating in the Next Generation Giving Circle and a praxis group with Resource Generation. As a longtime supporter of The Service Board, I am now a board member and chair the Risk Management Committee in Bike Works.
I thank you sincerely for your consideration of my application to your distinguished program.
Executive MPA Global Public Affairs Personal Purpose