Essay Topic: (1) What are your academic objectives? (2) What are your professional objectives? (3) What experiences have you had that motivated you to study urban planning?
Note: (1) I have not completed my final paragraph where I intend on highlighting why I have chosen to apply to UT Austin. (2) This is a dual degree program so i am writing this essay for Urban Planning and the school of Public Affairs
"Poverty often deprives a man of all spirit and virtue; it is hard for an empty bag to stand upright." - Benjamin Franklin
Franklin's words succinctly describe the circumstances of the many students I have met as a middle school social studies teacher. As an eighth grade Civics and Economics teacher, I have made it my personal mission to cultivate all of my students into responsible, civic-minded young adults; to instill a sense of passionate pride and devotion to caring about their communities. This bright-eyed optimism however, has recently begun to fade as I have witnessed the crippling effects chronic poverty has on so many of my kids. How can I expect them to stand up for what they believe in when the world in which they live is holding them down? Why should LaQuana care about the political process when she calls the local Motel 6 her home? Why should Dre'monte care about the Bill of Rights when he is worried about his rival gang putting a hit out on him? And why should my other at-risk students care about the U.S. Constitution when they battle sickness, hunger, abuse, broken homes, and many other issues almost every day of their young lives?
Several of my students live in neighborhoods that are either unable to provide them with community-based organizations designed to support academic achievement, or simply view public education as the panacea for all of their ills. I became a teacher to inspire children and guide them in reaching their potential; the institutions that co-exist with the public education system have prevented me from doing so. My four years as a public school teacher has taught me that the children we teach are largely affected by the homes and communities they come from. A parents' socioeconomic status strongly impacts their ability to support their child's academic achievement. If they are working multiple jobs, have a low education, and cannot assist their children, inevitably, low-income students will be less likely to succeed.
Underachievement can only be conquered if disadvantaged communities address and change the institutions that have marginalized them. I have a passion to teach children, but I have realized that I can be a far more effective catalyst for sustainable change outside of the classroom as an urban planner and leader in public service. I am a creative thinker who strives to help solve the social issues plaguing America's low-income communities. Community and Regional Planning is the professional forum that will give me the skills necessary to help struggling communities develop their own visions and innovative solutions that will allow them to stand on their own and bolster their future generations' ability to compete in the 21st century global economy.
I believe that one of my greatest strengths as a teacher is my ability to implement creative instructional techniques that empower my students. Learning the basic facts is never enough in my classroom; my students must acknowledge preconceptions, question the status quo, and formulate and support their own opinions. A teacher's role is not to teach a test. An effective teacher gives his or her students the skills and knowledge necessary to assess, question, and challenge their understanding of the world. For example, my recent lesson on federalism incorporated a debate on the recent health care reform legislation. After the lesson, my students were able to do more than define and explain federalism; they were able to debate health care reform and the benefits and drawbacks of the federal government passing such a comprehensive law. My master's degree from the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia, gave me the skills necessary for effective teaching by providing me with theoretical foundations, an understanding of social studies pedagogy, and practical experiences within the classroom.
Effective community developers don't hand out services to families and communities; they use their acquired skills and knowledge to help disadvantaged residents strategically implement and improve community support programs. Similarly, a graduate degree in Community and Regional Planning, specialized in Economic and Community Development, will provide me with the foundations, skills, and practical experiences necessary for working within nonprofits, NGO's, and government agencies, helping communities to assess their own aspirations and implement programs meant to meet their objectives. I am especially interested in coordinating programs among the multiple facets of the new public sector that focus on providing low income communities with comprehensive residential, economic, and educational support services.
While my experiences within the public education system have largely influenced my decision to move into urban planning and public service, several other life experiences have taught me the benefits of community programs and instilled a sense of duty to help others less fortunate than myself. After high school I attended the University of Virginia, completing a five-year BA/MT program in Government and Secondary Social Studies Education. Two volunteer programs that I particularly enjoyed were Teens Give and Practice Partners. The Teens Give program was a mentor program that provided at-risk youth with the resources, motivation, and skills-self-discipline, leadership, and tutoring-necessary to be successful in school. The Practice Partners program allowed me to share my softball passion and coaching knowledge with at-risk baseball and softball players from around the Charlottesville community in an after-school sports camp. Both of those programs taught me that without them, many of those children went home to environments that lacked structure, support, and motivation. It also showed me that there are many parents who want their children to succeed, but lack the knowledge, time or financial resources to help them do so. The time I spent as a mentor and coach encouraged me to make sure that I did more as a teacher than just teach to a test; those experiences taught me that in order to really help my students that needed it the most, I had to empower them.
The summer prior to my third year in college (2003) was the worst summer of my life. A close friend was killed in a car accident and a month later I was sexually assaulted. At the time, I was enrolled in summer session and found myself drowning in my depression along with my course load. My Education and Politics professor graciously gave me an extension on my final paper and I was able to complete it over two extra weeks and earn a B in the course. My Political Parties teacher demanded I complete his course final by the due date. I didn't, so I ended up failing that class. The next two semesters were extremely difficult for me because of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. Even though I sought counseling throughout the year I still struggled to hold it together, so in April of 2004, my mother and I made the decision that it would be best for my mental health to withdraw from school and come home to Richmond until the following spring semester.
During my time off, I spent a lot of time volunteering with S.A.R.A, a sexual assault resource center. Going to the support groups and sharing my story and listening others really showed me that it is impossible bear the entire weight of the world on your own. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness; rather, it is a sign of self-awareness. The notion of pulling yourself up by the bootstraps is an amazing aspiration, but not always the solution to your problems. Programs such as S.A.R.A, Teens Give, and Practice Partners, are not handouts for the needy. They are lifelines for those who cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel. Working with those programs instilled in me, a sense of duty to help individuals less fortunate than myself, see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
This bright-eyed optimism however, has recently begun to fade, as I have witnessed the crippling effects that chronic poverty has on so many of my kids.
Why should LaQuana care about the political process when she calls the local Motel 6 her home? Why should Dre'monte care about the Bill of Rights when he is worried about his rival gang putting a hit out on him?------I don't think you should use first names, especially as they are ethnic. It sounds bad, maybe stereotypical. Do you see what I mean?
My four years as a public school teacher have taught me that the children we teach are largely affected by the homes and communities they come from.
Community and Regional Planning is the professional forum that will give me the skills necessary to help struggling communities develop their own visions and innovative solutions, which will allow them to stand...
I am especially interested in coordinating programs among the multiple facets of the new public sector that focuses on providing...
A close friend was killed in a car accident, and a month later, I was sexually assaulted.
Even though I sought counseling throughout the year, I still struggled to hold it together...
Going to the support groups, and sharing my story, and listening others really showed me that it is impossible to bear the entire weight of the world on your own.
