This is my first draft and I'm feeling rather lost... I have a limit of two pages, double spaced so I still have room for another short paragraph. I know I'm missing something, what can I add/remove/clarify?
Describe your most important accomplishments and how they prepared you for graduate study. Outline your current goals and professional plans. Explain your reasons for selecting this program.
That evening I remained motionless, glued to the national news, trying to decipher the rapid dialogue and unfamiliar vocabulary. The death toll in the corner of the screen steadily grew. In the days after the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami my workplace became an evacuation center for hundreds of displaced families. Then came the Red Cross, the volunteers and the shamed politicians. Then came the art. Art is never far behind disaster. My students covered the temporary housing buildings with neon green and pink hand prints. We decorated the sidewalks in front of the school with drawings and messages in chalk: Welcome to Aizu, We're Sorry. Artists from all over Japan donated their work and created pieces from their experience. Museums and galleries in Tokyo hosted benefits and showcased the indigenous arts and crafts of Fukushima. Art not only brought bits of hope and peace, it began to express the inexpressible feeling of loss we were all struggling to voice.
Seeing and being involved first-hand in the power arts organizations have to strengthen communities, after disaster or otherwise, has solidified my resolve to pursue a career in non-profit art administration. My ideal position would be in a visual arts organization or museum, advocating for the arts and art education while bridging the gap between artist and audience. I'm particularly drawn to the field of audience development after assisting the Local Museum of Modern Art expand their English language resources. As the English speaking audience grew, more opportunities emerged such as partnerships with American and Spanish institutions, which I am proud to have had a small part in facilitating.
Being accepted to the prestigious JET Program and working in Japan are two of my proudest accomplishments. The frustrations inherent in living abroad are many, but my flexibility, compassion and enthusiasm allowed me to succeed. Learning different ways of perceiving values, education, communication, government and the arts has allowed me view my own culture more analytically and objectively. It also gave me the opportunity to put my Japanese language studies into practice and strengthen my communication skills in general, whether in Japanese, English or wild hand gestures, which I soon became a master of.
This School's MPA and MAAA Programs will allow me to focus my diverse skills and experiences into becoming a dynamic public leader. Besides being ranked number one in the nation for Non-Profit Management and having the only dual MPA/MAAA program in the United States, I want to attend the school for its dedicated and prolific faculty. I'm particularly interested in learning from Dr. Lady's research on the role of non-profits in community development and from Professor Dude's many years of experience in arts programming. In addition, Great City is the perfect location for me to immerse myself in an artistic community and learn about the challenges and successes of local arts institutions. I'm seeking to gain as much practical experience as possible in order to establish and succeed in my post-graduate career, something the MPA/MAA program fosters with its practicum, internship and assistantship opportunities.
That evening I remained motionless, glued to the national news, trying to decipher the rapid dialogue and unfamiliar vocabulary. The death toll in the corner of the screen steadily grew. In the days after the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami my workplace became an evacuation center for hundreds of displaced families. Then came the Red Cross, the volunteers and the shamed politicians.
Awesome beginning.... very good :)
Being accepted to the prestigious JET Program and working in Japan are two of my proudest accomplishments.
I wish if you had been more descriptive about winning acceptance to JET... How competitive was that? What were the efforts you made? etc.... Because they specifically ask you to talk about your accomplishments. However, you have well presented how they have prepared you for graduate study :)
You have written very well.... All the best!
