Education and community leadership

¶ … Education Has Meant to Me

And How it Has Helped Me in Community Leadership

Learning is a lifelong process. Whether I am in the classroom, at work, or just living my life, I find that there is always more to be learned. My education, both formal and informal, has allowed me to see that I have the thirst for knowledge, the passion for success and the dedication to helping others, that is necessary for excellence in community leadership.

I believe that the field of Health Care Management provides the ideal vehicle for me to fulfill my dream of contributing to society in a valuable way. Truly serving one's community requires a well-rounded, multi-disciplinary approach based on a solid knowledge base and a deep understanding of the human experience. Both my formal classroom experience and my practical experience have helped me to succeed in these pursuits; and both have helped to prepare me to fulfill my destiny as a community leader in the public health care arena.

I have, of course, faced many challenges throughout my educational experiences, one of the most notable of which is time management. I know first hand how difficult it can be to try to balance home, career and night school. Sometimes it seems as if there are just not enough hours in the day to accomplish all that I need to accomplish. At times I have felt frustrated and slightly overwhelmed by this challenge. But ultimately, I have learned to hone my time management skills in such a way that I can conquer just about any obstacle that stands in my path.

In my experience, prioritization and balance are the key. First, I have to determine which daily goals rank the highest. This is based on factors such as deadlines, the impact of completing the task on my life, and the impact on others' lives. Once I have made these determinations I need to ensure that I am creating a proper balance. If work responsibilities continue to trump school and home responsibilities, then I need to do a reassessment of my priorities to ensure that equal time and effort is being given to all three of these critically important areas of my life.