Intellectual autobiography and impacts on the community

. Your thoughts on where you are coming from

As it relates to where I am coming from in term of my interdisciplinary studies, I have 24 years of experience in the United States Navy. This experience has proven to be invaluable as it relates to my career aspirations and overall skill set. From a personal perspective, I am coming from many years of experiences travelling the world and adhering to very strict military standards and procedures. This has instilled a sense of discipline that is very difficult to replicate without years of experience with life and the natural vicissitudes that it brings with it. These experiences, particularly those with international counterparts, have broaden my perspective of the world. It has also enhanced my perspective of the position a United States citizen has in relation to others in the world. Many countries often acquiesce to our customs and beliefs as a sign of respect and alignment. However, through my travel, I have experienced many adverse circumstances such as international war, mass poverty in foreign countries, and even deaths of colleagues. All of these events, although unpliant, have shaped my appreciation for both life and for others from differing cultural backgrounds.

2. Where you would like to go?

As far as where I would like to go, I have aspirations to pursue a career in politics or public service. Interestingly, when I first entered the military, I had little interest in staying for 25 years. The natural vicissitudes of life however required me to leverage the military experience to help others and my family. At the age of 19, while I was in the military, my first son was born. As teenage parent in the military, I had to quickly adapt to dramatically different circumstances. Just one year early, I was completing basic training and looking to become accustomed to my newly assigned duty station. However, different circumstances prevailed which required me to make dramatic changes. There are very few elements in life outside of a child, that can force a man to grow up quickly. This experience is compounded by the fact that African American males have historically been absent in their childes lives. It was through this teenage pregnancy that the idea of community service and helping others who have experienced similar circumstances arose. My life circumstances are not unique to me. Millions of children each year are born out of wedlock each year. The circumstances vary, but inevitably the child suffers by not having a two-parent household. This problem is particularly acute within minority communities. As a result, after I retire from the military, I would like to help many of the communities through either politics or public service.

Politics appears to me as it is mechanism that can be leverage to provide better policies for local communities. These communities are often neglected as larger more overarching issues dominate the national media. However, issues particularly those relates to minority communities are critical to the success of the country as a whole. Reducing teen pregnancies, reducing violence, reducing the prevalence of drugs within inner cities, and improving education outcomes are concepts that I am the most passionate about. As a father and family man, my desire for flourishing and prosperous minority communities is not unique to me. In fact, many others share my sentiments but are unwilling and unable to run for public office. As I enter my twilight years and look to retire from the military, I believe I am perfectly positioned to help provide the changes that have plagued my life for decades. With a degree in interdisciplinary studies, I believe I can marry my real-world military experience with that of a board-based degree. This combination will allow me to better address the needs of the people I am looking to service.

3. Why you would like to get to where it is you think you would like to go?

As noted earlier, the reason why I am pursing this degree is to ultimately obtain a job in public service or politics. These two areas correspond to my passion for helping others while also looking to make fundamental changes to the overall trajectory of minority communities. Also, as a career member of the military, I thoroughly enjoy the role of public servant and helping those in need. I believe, that my experience allows me to be uniquely qualified to help others through public service. Although the military has provided me with a very fulfilling and rewarding career, I believe it is my obligation to continue to give back to society in meaningful ways.

Psychologist Erik Erikson developed one of the most comprehensive theories in developmental psychology. Erikson’s eight states of human development are particularly pertinent and profound when applied to why I want to pursue a career in public service. Stage 7 of his approach is characterized by middle adulthood. During this stage the focus of the individual is on contributions to society and the next generation of young adults. According to Erikson, adults during this stage are often at the height of their career with many having children entering the workforce. This stage, according to Erikson is also predicated by stagnation or the feeling that an individual may have little to no impact on society. Here, people may not find appropriate meaning with their work. These two concepts are fundamentally juxtaposed against one another. As a result, I have chosen to provide meaning in my life through service to others. Admittedly, the reasoning for this behavior is to provide meaning within my own life, as I don’t believe retirement suits my personal lifestyle.

4. How you developed your intellectual interests?

I developed my intellectual interests through my service in the military combined with personal experiences. As mentioned above, I had experiences as a teenage father that required me to mature quickly and in a manner that best aligned with my families interest. I also had personal experiences traveling the world and seeing the residual impacts of war and poverty of innocent people. All of these elements heavily influence my intellectual interest as I wanted to solve many of the problems facing society. Nearly 1 in 4 Americans live at or below the poverty level. Nearly 40% of Americans can not afford a $500 emergency expense. 75% of Americans work jobs that they hate and despise. Income inequality is on the rise. Nations are now catching up to America and are better suited to compete in the technological revolution. All of these elements impact everyday Americans. I have seen firsthand, from an international perspective, how these elements can adversely impact society. My goal is to do my part on the local level to help mitigate these influences on communities in which I care about. My perceptions, beliefs and values were all forged through these real-world experiences. Unlike others, I don’t rely on theory or text book data. Instead, I rely on the devastation that I have seen over 24 years of service within the military combined with my personal experiences simply living life. This has created, in my opinion, a strong foundation by which to help others and to benefit society.

5. Why you chose your two concentration areas?

African American history is the foundation for world history. As an African American I have elected to take the 300/400 level courses in African American language and culture. I am also very interested in business which has motivated me to take the Ideas and Their Influences course (Int 411). Both of these elements are my concentration as they are two concepts that I am the most passionate about. The rationale behind the selection is simple. For one, globalization has had a very robust impact on the world economy. New and unique industries and benefits have emerged that has allowed investors to flourish. One element that impacts society is wealth and income inequality. By emphasizing and learning about investment in these entities, middle class families can flourish and proper. Through my years of service, I am a large proponent of investment and capital allocation. As a result, I enjoyed these courses which, in my personal life, are my concentrations. I personally have concentrated on ideas and influence as these notions ultimately lead to robust investment opportunities. Likewise, I am interested in African American language and culture as it is my history and heritage.