Personal Statement
In 1996 I moved to the bay area to begin my doctoral studies at Stanford University in 19th Century English Literature. Growing up in Queens, New York, the bay area was a shock. Somehow, I survived car-less for two years through harrowing bike trips to Target and Safeway. After 4 years as a doctoral student at Stanford, I realized teaching and academia were not for me.
With little experience outside the academic environment, a broad approach to the working world seemed best. A counselor convinced me working for a management consulting agency was the best way to understand private industry. While I enjoyed the work of project management and human resource advising, I found my values did not align well with the private sector. I grew tired of the weekly reports detailing how much money I was making for my employer or saving for my client. The idea of measuring productivity by dollars didn't appeal.
Upon having this epiphany, luck and timing had me working for a Congresswoman on the peninsula. I admired her work in Congress as well as the strong women she attracted to her district office. However, I found myself continuing to feel a disconnect with the office’s mission. While elected officials may want to take the long-view of an issue or problem, often the needs of a vocal electorate take priority. In addition, as a federal elected official, the Congresswoman always had her sights set on legal changes at a high-level, while I wanted my work to have a local impact.
In an effort to expand my understanding of the public sector as well as local government, I engaged in informational interviews with a variety of senior public administrators. Most were city managers and directors of local social service agencies and I found myself admiring their work as well their goals and ideals. Almost everyone advised me to work on a masters in public administration. They explained it was the only way I could fully understand the field while also finding an entrance point into it.
In order to practice my new-found interest in administration while I worked on my degree, I returned to the womb of Stanford University as an administrator. Over the last five years here I have had a wonderful opportunity to apply and explore the theory and skills I gained in my public administration classes. As I move toward the completion of my degree in May 2008, I find myself looking forward to the transition into a career in government administration.