Born in the USA to parents from Ethiopia, we moved back to our country when I was only 6 months old, and I grew up in Addis Ababa until I finished high school there. Thus, despite being a citizen of the USA, Ethiopia will always be my home, because it is where my heart is, and where I want to make my foremost contribution to my people, Ethiopia, Africa, and the Developing World in particular. To learn how to do so in my chosen area, Public Administration, there is no program in the world better qualified to prepare me for the challenges that I hope to face at XXXX. Both XXXX and London are the optimal arenas where I hope to learn everything that I can about Public Administration, especially with respect to Africa. My central academic focus is primarily on public policy and the emergence of new institutions, especially social enterprises; and I believe that promoting a spirit of social entrepreneurship is one of the most promising sources of hope for the economic development of Africa.
I travelled a lot with my father as a child since he was a commercial airline pilot. After high school in Ethiopia, I spent 4 years as an undergraduate student at American University. I also completed a summer study abroad program in the UK at the London School of Economics, completing one course in International Business. After finishing college, I began working for the ____ Mayor's Office where I have served in a variety of roles for the past 5 years. Now that I have critically important real-world experience, I have the maturity and drive to excel as a graduate student and I hope very much to return to the LSE, where I experienced the most rapid human growth and learning experience of my life. XXXX is my first choice for graduate school because of its sheer quality and worldwide leadership status in the academic world.
My intense passion for social innovation was first sparked while attending a social impact conference focusing on the link between business innovation and social transformation. Working in the public sector with an academic background in business, I was fascinated to hear from a group of highly experienced leaders, thinkers, and practitioners, discussing how smart innovative organizations can grow financially and still make a most positive social impact. I knew at once that this was my calling and that I wanted to be a leader in this field. I see no greater way to prepare myself to return to Ethiopia and make my major social contribution in social innovation, for the development of Ethiopia and Africa more generally speaking. The Master of Public Administration Program at XXXX with a focus on Social Impact will help me to gain the necessary critical skills and tools that I need to assume leadership positions in the promotion of socially focused enterprises.
Earning my master's degree in public administration at XXXX will enable me to eventually assume leadership roles with organizations that have the greatest social impact and determine the social and economic fate of Africa, such as the UN, World Bank, IMF, Bill, and Melinda Gates Foundation, etc. I hope to work with international organizations such as these to tackle social issues and challenges in the most effective and sustainable ways possible, serving to enhance the development of the private as well as public sectors. My long-term goal is to leverage all my knowledge, experience, and resources towards the creation of my own social impact organization dedicated towards the promotion of interdisciplinary, innovative, and socially responsible projects in developing countries. I keenly look forward to a long lifetime of contribution to social innovation: strategic philanthropy, investment in social enterprises, and building coalitions for social impact.
My accomplishments and privilege include serving as a Student Research Analyst for 4 months for the American Bar Association in 2013. I co-authored a 120-page research project analyzing barriers to civil society and government accountability in Africa focusing most specifically on the impact of counterterrorism efforts in Kenya. I provided advice on sensitive trials and pro-bono cases and gained practical experience related to public administration issues in Africa. I have also given a great deal of time to several humanitarian causes with a focus on Africa, especially my native Ethiopia.
I feel strongly that my education so far has me well prepared for a professional lifetime of innovative service on the front lines of social issues in developing countries, especially Africa. During my junior year in college, when I studied at the LSE for the summer, my world lit up like never before, intellectually: learning how international business can grow in socially responsible and sustainable ways that are also in the interests of social justice and human rights. I especially look forward to continuing my critical exploration of the impact of Chinese foreign direct investments in African countries.
My central academic interests include the integration of private and public capital, fusing philanthropic support with the public sector, especially with respect to health and human services. Having an inquisitive mind and a knack for analytical research, I relish assessing the viability of public-private partnership arrangements and I am fascinated by innovative ideas, approaches, and novel innovative strategies in public administration.
My current role as Deputy Director of the Office of Budget and Finance for the ____ Office of the Mayor has given me the opportunity to learn from many creative leaders that strive to identify resources and put them together in innovative ways. I found that having the ability to lead the implementation of innovative solutions is especially important in situations where stakeholders are resistant to change or have doubts about the feasibility of a proposed solution to a problem. I seek to cultivate this ability because I also see it as particularly useful in an environment where many government agencies would prefer following tried-and-true methods for success rather than seeking new opportunities for improved efficiency and effectiveness. I hope to influence the creation of new and more streamlined, efficient, and transparent forms of government in Africa, based on the interdisciplinary accomplishments related to Social Entrepreneurship.
Thank you for considering my application for the Master of Public Administration program at XXXX.
MPA Personal Purpose Statement Example