Guidelines: You will be asked to address these three questions in a single essay:
1. What are the most important things the LBJ School Admissions Committee should know about you (e.g. personal history and background, unique experiences and perspectives).
2. What are your professional and career goals? Ten years from now, what type of work do you hope to be doing in the field of public policy?
3. How would a degree from The LBJ School help you achieve your professional goals?
Max. length: 4 pages
A few years ago, I was feeling restless. I had a college degree, a full-time job, my own apartment; everything that defines an adult life. I was on my own for the first time, but I felt like I was stuck. On a whim one night, I drove nearly two hours in the snow to Michigan State University to attend an informational meeting about the Peace Corps. I was anxious for a unique experience, and I had never traveled abroad before, so I decided to go for it. The application process took nearly two years, but finally the day came when I opened my mail box to find an invitation to serve as a community development volunteer in rural Thailand. I quit my job and sold my car, accepting the invitation without fully realizing what was ahead for me. A few weeks later I was sitting on an airplane bound for the "Land of Smiles," beginning a journey that would change my life forever.
As a community development volunteer, I was placed in a village of about 9,000 people and paired with the local government office. I was fully immersed in Thai culture; learning the language, befriending the villagers, and participating in local celebrations. I had the chance to help teach English in the schools, work with income generation groups, educate government workers about technology and the Internet, and work with health clinics in educating students about HIV/AIDS. The focus of the Peace Corps is on sustainability, and much of our efforts as volunteers went toward educating our counterparts on how to continue the work we started. Throughout my service I had the chance to both attend and facilitate conferences held by various Peace Corps Global Initiative Groups (GIGs). The objectives of these conferences were always focused on our Thai counterparts, rather than on the volunteers in attendance. The conferences I helped develop and facilitate focused on Project Development and Management (PDM). Through these PDM workshops, we educated volunteers and counterparts on how to work together from the inception of an idea through formation of project goals and objectives, as well as budgeting and monitoring and evaluating the success of the project. By training our Thai counterparts through these sustainable activities, we made sure that the work we did as volunteers is going to last long after our service ends.
Serving now in Thailand, I am a member of the Project Review Committee (PRC). The PRC serves to assist volunteers in locating funding for their projects. As a PRC member, volunteers approach me with their ideas and I assist them in writing grants. I have become quite familiar with the grant writing process, and I enjoy helping other volunteers raise funds for their projects. Before a volunteer is granted money, they must demonstrate the sustainability of their project. The Peace Corps realizes that simply throwing money at a problem will do nothing to solve it if the money isn't wisely targeted. Our funds came from a combination of money from the American government, the Royal Thai government, and from donations made by Returned Peace Corps Volunteers in Thailand and abroad. About a year into my service, both the American and Thai government funding ran out. Our volunteer projects are currently supported solely through donations. This sudden lack of funding made me realize the importance that donations and community contributions play in the livelihood of an organization. My experience as a member of the PRC is when I got my first taste of what it would be like to work in fundraising; frustrating sometimes, and challenging, yes, but also extremely satisfying and rewarding.
Long before the Peace Corps had entered my mind as a possibility, while I was an undergraduate, I chose to major in business administration. At that age, I wasn't sure what type of career I wanted, and business is a broad major that can lead down many roads. I chose it because it was a "safe" major. While I was a student, I held a work study position in the registrar's office. After graduation, that experience helped me to find a job at a small private university. I loved the atmosphere of working on a campus and interacting with the students. During my years of employment, the university built a new campus. The land was donated by a local philanthropist and the money to construct the main academic building came from two local families that make contributions to many causes throughout the community. The building of the new campus, and the resulting expansion of the university, would never have been possible without the financial support of donors, alumni, and local community business partners. I also saw the university reciprocating this generosity back to the community by organizing and sponsoring events, like blood drives, canned food drives, and a disaster relief trip in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. During my years in business school, the focus of many of my classes was on numbers, profit, making the sale, the bottom line, etc. Working at the university and seeing this flow of giving and receiving made me realize that there's so much more to a business than what goes into the books at the end of the quarter. It drove me to get involved. Through the university's Student Life Office, I began volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. It wasn't much, but I felt better knowing I was making a positive impact on my community. After I learned about the opportunities available through the Peace Corps, I decided that building houses on Saturdays once every few weeks wasn't enough, and that's when I applied.
As my Peace Corps service reached the halfway point, I started to think about what I would do in my post-volunteer years. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go back to work or to continue my education. I know I want to continue doing the type of development work I was introduced to in the Peace Corps.
Location was another important factor to consider while choosing where I wanted to go next. The Michigan economy is not doing well and I know jobs will be hard to find. I had been considering Austin for some time; I had some friends who moved there after college and really liked it. When I looked into the programs at University of Texas, I found the public affairs program. I knew I eventually wanted to get a degree in the realm of public policy or public affairs, but the specialty in nonprofit and philanthropic studies really won me over. It seemed like a perfect fit: the program that I want in the city that I want to live in. After doing some more research, the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs quickly became my first choice for graduate school.
My desire to continue working in the nonprofit sector, be it in an academic setting or that of a nongovernment organization, has been cemented into place during my years in Thailand. Ten years from now, I want to be doing development work in an American community. My dream job is to work for a charitable foundation, engaging the community in issues, and then being able to share with them the differences they have made. I have been truly inspired by the work of philanthropists like Anita Roddick and Bill and Melinda Gates, and I want to hold a position where I where I can make a positive difference. Most positions in nonprofit management require a master's degree, and that is why I have chosen to continue my studies. With my academic background in business, my professional experience in higher education, and my volunteer experience from the Peace Corps, I have a solid, well-rounded foundation to build on. Whether working for a large organization that tackles global issues, or a small one that works in communities at the grassroots level, the added knowledge provided by an advanced degree will prepare me for the challenges of a career in public affairs.
I'm glad I made the decision that snowy night years ago to attend the Peace Corps meeting. My service as a volunteer has opened up a whole new world of possibilities to me, and now I'm ready to take the next steps. The University of Texas is a respected institution and a degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs will aid me in finding a rewarding and satisfying career. It is a program in which I believe my interests will flourish and where I will build a lifelong network of personal and professional relationships. By working closely with leaders in public affairs, I will advance my understanding of issues, preparing myself to make effective, informed policy decisions. Concentrating my studies through the Nonprofit and Philanthropic Studies specialty will give me a set of unique skills that will set me apart from the crowd. I am anxious to learn these skills and to apply them outside of the classroom. The program is demanding, but I am ambitious and committed to succeed. I am ready to meet the challenge.
You've done a great job writing this essay. The grammar is nearly flawless, and your style flows smoothly. I should point out, though, that despite being well-written, it still begins to grow a bit dull after awhile. I think this occurs mostly because, in many of your sentences, you use forms of "to be," especially "was," as the main verb far more often than you have to. For instance, "I was fully immersed in Thai culture; learning the language, befriending the villagers, and participating in local celebrations." could, with a bit of revision, become "Fully immersed in Thai culture, I soon began learning the language, befriending the villagers, and participating in local celebrations." I suggest you go through the essay and see how many instances of "to be" you can eliminate. Don't worry if you leave a few, though; even I couldn't write this whole paragraph without using at least one "is." :-)
