Personal Statement

Hello and thank you for visiting my page! My name is Sandy and I am excited about finishing the MPA program here at San Francisco State University. The past two and a half years have been enlightening, rewarding and busy! Since Fall 2003 I have been working at the Social Security field office in San Francisco's Mission district. My work with Social Security was one of my inspirations for pursuing an MPA degree. On a daily basis I meet people who are going through a turning point in their lives, whether they have decided to retire, lost a loved one or become unable to work due to a medical condition. The work that I do is very rewarding, but it has revealed many public administration issues that I have learned about in depth in the MPA courses. As my completion of the program draws near, I reflect on the knowledge, experiences and skills I have gained, and I am grateful to SFSU for offering a practical and convenient program for working students. I always think of schooling through the undergraduate level as an involuntary experience. It was not my choice to go to school, but due to parental and societal pressures, I followed through with it. A master's degree, on the other hand, was something I decided on my own to pursue, and it is one of the best decisions I have ever made. On my website you will see samples of my work and the skills I have acquired while in the program. My immediate career aspiration is to do policy analysis or program development. I have spent the past five years in Social Security's operations and believe I am ready to offer my knowledge and skills in a strategic capacity. I am proud to have met and worked with the talented faculty and students here and I look forward to applying my MPA skills in all my career endeavors.

If you are interested in what have I done outside of the MPA program, please see my resume.