Statement of Purpose for Entering to Doctoral Program - Essay Example

ment of Purpose “Satisfaction over personal achievements is rarely perennial,” a friend told me once. “There is more joy in helping others progress.” Growing up in an underdeveloped country, I experienced first-hand that the challenges faced by people due to poverty, racial disadvantages and lack of opportunities. These challenges always made me wonder how to render feasibility to the idea of fostering progress. My decision to major in public health nutrition was an attempt to give direction to the lofty goal of fighting poverty trends in Brazil. People living in poor conditions have underweight children with substandard growth. Even when the children do go to school, they cannot learn well because malnutrition hinders their cognitive abilities; their improper education keeps them away from opportunities for appropriate employment. Special attention has to be given to how issues of emotional, cognitive and social development intersect with cultural and economic contexts. When I realized that the etiology of malnutrition had its roots not only in physiology but in the politics, education and economics fields, I felt that those problems were of immense proportions and my abilities to affect change too small for my own moral comfort. Interrupting my studies to serve a full-time volunteer mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints gave me the chance to work with problems in the complex settings in which they are embedded. Promoting faith and helping rebuild shattered lives were sacred ways for me in order to make a difference. It was magnificent to sense the healing power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Being a missionary thus served me well: I learned a new language, how to adopt to a different culture and climate, the value of complete obedience to strict rules, the importance of teamwork, proper goal setting and planning, teaching skills and leadership abilities. Many students leave college feeling highly educated, yet ignorant about the real world in essence. I was given the chance to have hands-on experience solving community and individual problems. Although eager to help, it was interesting for me to observe missionaries spend hours focused on sporadic service projects with little long-term impact. I believe that communities can benefit more from individuals who know how to bring together different resources into a common effect. Teaching and motivating others to embrace social change is not sufficient; improving the way people approach their assistance can multiply its social value manifolds. When I returned to my undergraduate studies in the year 2003, I wanted to launch a community-based organization, focused on improving the access youth from underserved communities having to deal with health and education. Setting aside that desire to face the reality of having to reconcile studies with a full time job was intricate. But the opportunity to work for a nonprofit organization made the experience very valuable and interesting. During my last year (2005) of undergraduate experience, I was not only working at the Missionary Training Center (MTC) but also in internships to learn the routine of a nutritionist. Even though I was very busy that year, the chance to contrast the MTC with for-profit organizations (hospital, restaurant/food marketing company and health clinic) was not only fascinating but it hastened my professional development. It is very interesting to compare nonprofit with for-profit organizations. For a business, financial returns and clientele satisfaction can be a legitimate measure of success. Yet the assessment of social sector organizations relates to their mission. Nonprofits need to think about what they are trying to accomplish and be able to translate their goals into workable, specific objectives. In either type of organization, strategy and leadership play a crucial role in attaining the desired results. What are the lessons one type of business can learn from the other? What are the differences between managing a for-profit and a nonprofit organization? What kind of leadership do they need? What are the differences about managing diversity in each of these settings? Nonprofits are becoming more aware of the need to expand their resources and partnerships to include both governmental agencies and the private sector. At the same time businesses realize that stakeholders and clients expect corporations to exercise “citizenship” as they relate to community issues. It is to that effect that the Organizational Behavior (OB) program will allow me to learn leadership and management development in complex settings. I want to research meaningful ways to enhance personal and organizational effectiveness in the social sector. I came to Harvard with the intention to find the answers for the problems of children and adolescents at risk. I believe that education has a crucial role in empowering people to become active and conscious citizens. Central to my current studies on the Ed.M. program in Risk and Prevention is research on the factors that put the children at a disadvantage, and the assets (e.g., community interventions, educational programs, family relationships) that support high levels of academic, moral, and social development; healthy individuals; and effective school systems. But in my experience, I realized that acquiring management and leadership knowledge will be exceedingly indispensable. How does one establish a connection between the social sector and for-profit business or between religious organizations and governmental efforts? How does one assure that the mission, strategy and values of potential partnerships are converging to the social and economic development of the community in which they are embedded? How do international organizations (e.g., World Bank, UNICEF or UNESCO) undertake the challenges faced by them in schools and health systems, as well as in the government at all levels? How do we shift from focus on the needs and pathologies of our society to emphasis on their strengths and rights? My interest in social enterprise lies in the fact that, in spite of the mission – be it about raising the standard and availability of health care, educating the youth, promoting faith in God or fighting inequalities – it always has the power to compel and commit individuals. There has to be a fundamental rethinking of the role of health practitioners, educators, religionists and community members in their administrative practice and organizational leadership; they should also consider partnerships with one another, magnifying the influence of their good deeds in the process. This doctoral program will empower me with knowledge to facilitate that process. The ability to translate research to practical applications on the organizational level in the social sector is a task that I believe will be made easier through my prowess in OB. This degree can help me go to social psychology, behavioral sciences and the literature of management to find how to make social-purpose organizations or social undertakings by for-profit companies work better. My interests are closely related to the work and research of professor XXX and YYY; learning from their experience will be a great asset to my future career. I am particularly interested in the Social Enterprise Initiative, having already started communications with Professor Allen Grossman and others. Harvard University has all the resources of technology and expertise (such as libraries and accessible faculty) that I need. The possibility of involvement with the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies and the HBS Latin America Research Center make this degree even more attractive. The cultural and ethnic diversity of Harvard’s population is exciting. Such peer-learning fosters self-assessment and I am very anxious to make my contribution towards the graduate program. My friend’s provocative statement still echoes loudly in my life. But now I want to learn how to help people as well as organizations progress. OB will provide me expertise to accomplish this task as a researcher, consultant and faculty member. Although right now I am only a student, I have great passion for learning; and for me research is about discovery, which makes the activity a striking undertaking. Perhaps more than my experience, my values, my hearth and knowledge, the single most important characteristic I can offer is my intellectual curiosity and basic willingness to raise unsettling questions. I hope that the admissions committee finds my background commensurate with the requirements of the OB program. Yours truly, Name Word Count: 1,341 Read More