Personal Statement

"The cry of the poor is not always just, but if you don't listen to it, you will never know what justice is."-  Unknown, recalled by Howard Zinn 

My parents never had the opportunity to make it past the 6th grade so throughout my lifetime they have emphasized the importance of getting a good education, working hard, and helping others.   My pursuit of a Masters degree in Public Administration stems from the ideals that my parents instilled in me, from the passion that I have for the nonprofit sector, and from my desire to help strengthen the foundation of organizations that are committed to social equity and justice.

During my time in school I have excelled in classes that focus on organizational behavior, budgeting, strategic planning, developing and managing nonprofit resources, financial management, research and data analysis, and several other subjects that have strengthened my research skills, honed my writing skills, and have given me great confidence in dealing with unique financial and organizational issues associated with the nonprofit, philanthropic, and public sectors.  Fortunately, I’ve had the opportunity to put these skills into practice in the real world while going to school, by working as a program assistant for the Neighborhood Parks Council (NPC), a nonprofit which advocates for cleaner, greener, and safer parks as well as a more sustainable and environmentally friendly use of open spaces.

My tasks at the NPC included performing day-to-day administrative and office management work, as well as providing programmatic, financial, and fundraising support.  One of my major accomplishments while at NPC was helping reorganize and successfully grow the organization’s fiscal sponsorship program.  I was able to utilize skills that I’ve learned in the MPA program to develop organizational systems to help track grant and donor information, and to develop financial and volunteer resources for the organization’s 23 fiscally sponsorship groups.  Along with my direct supervisor, I was the key person in assisting these community-based groups with grant writing, requests for funding applications, donation solicitations, event planning and coordination, and community and volunteer organizing.

I left NPC on very good terms, in order to devote my full attention to my final semester in the MPA program.  Now that I have completed my graduate studies, I hope to find employment with an organization that actively seeks to promote social equity as well as a robust and sustainable nonprofit and philanthropic sector. 

Resume

Professional Resume

Research Assistant Resume