Applying for International Fellowship from the American Association of University Women - Admission/Application Essay Example

Personal Statement Extreme poverty coupled with limited access to education negatively impacts the economic and financial activities of any business or country in the world. My motherland, Burkina Faso, located in the middle of West Africa, is faced with the same socioeconomic challenges. My first-hand experiences with these factors in Burkina Faso have inculcated a deep desire in me to develop myself academically in general and especially with respect to studying in Financial Accounting. It is almost impossible to find a girl succeed in college in my country. As a woman who is fully dedicated and determined to achieve her desired goals, I am confident that I can apply the skills and knowledge I previously attained in Financial Accounting to positively impact my country as well as mankind in general all over the world. It is my passionate drive and ambition that led me to pursuing my undergraduate education in the United States. It is my firm belief that, education is the key to women’s empowerment anywhere in the world regardless of time or the socioeconomic and political challenges in front of a nation. I grew up in a family of five, with a father, mother, and two brothers. The sound belief of my parents in the importance of a girl’s education led them to making huge sacrifices for their daughters. In order to enable me to study in the U.S and get the best education possible, my parents sold out their property at a time when they did not get its optimal price. They could have gotten a higher rate of return had they kept the property for a few more months, but they did not want to bear the risk of having me expelled from school for not being able to pay the fees it charged. Since my arrival in 2008 from French-speaking Burkina Faso, I have successfully learned written and spoken English and went on to earn my Associate Degree from Georgia Perimeter College (GPC). In 2010, I was nominated by the English as Second Language faculty at GPC for the Beverly Benson Scholarship, which is awarded to a former ESL student based on GPA and obstacles overcome in persevering to continue his/her education . I have always been an active student in and out of the classroom. I try to be into sports as well as all sorts of extra-curricular activities. I am an active member of the international honor societies Phi Theta Kappa and Alpha Beta Gamma. I am also an active member of Toastmaster International and AAUW, North Atlanta Fulton Branch. For four semesters in a row, I was awarded the best student assistant and was also on the Dean’s list. Subsequently, I was awarded the Atlanta Campus Scholarship which enabled me to pay in-state tuition, instead of out-of-state tuition, at Georgia State University. This university was where I studied Finance and graduated in May 2014 with my Bachelor Degree. It is worth noting that as an international student, I do not have access to financial assistance such as the Hope Scholarship, Federal Financial Aid, or student-loans because of my ‘Student Visa’ status. This is partly why I am excited about the opportunity of applying for International Fellowship from the American Association of University Women (AAUW). I am looking forward to being able to complete my dual MBA in accounting and finance at either Georgia State University or Mercer University. I am a very sociable person who loves to contribute to my community and country at large. I have been involved in several activities to assist my community in Burkina Faso. These activities include but are not limited to my initiative to raise money for girls in my village Yamane, located 50 kilometers from the capital, Ouagadougou, and my learning of ways to develop and manage the micro credit loan on an accounting internship with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Burkina Faso in the summer of 2012. Through this, I was able to help girls in Yamane work during the summer. I used the profit to fund the education of those girls. My career ambition is to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Selecting the right master’s program is very important and a decisive step in this regard. My interest in accounting dates back to my middle-school days. Although I can say with the extent of knowledge and understanding of accounting that I have, that this field is complicated, yet it is an equally weighty fact that I love the challenge of working as a Professional Accountant. CPAs play a huge role in making a company successful. From fixing budgets, suggesting payroll salary levels, and projecting profits to consulting on potential company loans for projects, CPAs do it all! As a role model for young upcoming girls in Burkina Faso, this fellowship opportunity and the completion of my dual MBA in accounting and finance will make me one of the first female CPAs in my country. This presents me with a good opportunity to give back to my community by helping women realize their dreams and aspirations. The knowledge that I will acquire with a dual MBA will help me expand my skills and techniques in developing micro credit loans for my country which would be a big service to the growing needs of the people in Burkina Faso. I believe that thousands of girls will be able to identify with me as a professional. I hope and pray that young girls would stand up and proudly point their fingers in my direction, suggesting to their parents against the stereotypes and stigma associated with being highly educated and a working woman in my community. I want to change the perception of women’s strength and abilities in my community and country for the better so that women are more liberated and empowered to exercise their rights to education and work in an independent environment. I am confident that getting this Master’s degree will be a big step forward for me in this direction. Read More