Parents Never Had the Benefit

¶ … parents never had the benefit of a university education: I was the first person from my family ever to graduate from high school. To attend college and graduate school was for them an impossible dream. Both of my parents were immigrants from Poland -- every dollar that passed through their fingers was hard-won with labor, every long hour they spent at work, I knew was an investment in my future.

Not a day went by as a child that I did not hear about the value of education. My mother and father always said to me that I would lead a better life than either of them, because I had greater opportunities. My potential was limitless, as long as I dedicated myself to school and took learning seriously. To think that I have the ability to attain my PhD through the Capella University online doctoral program makes my heart swell with pride, not only for my own accomplishments, but for my parents' sacrifice as well. The ability to be able to complete this graduate degree online, while still working and participating in my various service activities would be invaluable for a busy adult such as myself who wishes to engage in a continual project of self-improvement, one that began so long ago -- in some ways, before I was even born. Linguistic and logistical difficulties limited my parents' educational possibilities, but now technology makes access to an education a reality, even for someone working full-time, provided he or she has the ability to multitask and manage his or her workload. This is something I have had to do throughout my life, as I have always had to work to support my education.

Reading a biography of the current President, I could not help but chuckle when I learned that his mother used to wake him up early before school, so she could make sure that he was prepared for the day. My own parents used to do this quite often. I never complained, even though I sometimes resented the loss of sleep. Their investment of time proved to be well worth the effort. The habit they instilled within me was sustained throughout my years of schooling, even when I had to budget my own time. One of the proudest moments of my life came when I, along with 130 AmeriCorps alumni were welcomed by President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the Inaugural Parade. AmeriCorps volunteers are called agents of change in their community, and in my many service activities, I try to live up to this pledge. I regard service as an obligation, albeit one that educates me as well as the person I aid. As is often said, to whom much is given, much is expected.

At present, I have an MBA and am a pending Certified Enterprise Architect with over ten years of Information Technology (it) and business analysis experience in the public and private sectors. Completing my doctorial degree online would enable me to gain the further needed expertise to perhaps one day manage my own nonprofit. It would ensure that my life continues to be supplemented with knowledge, and enhance my technical qualifications in my field and my insight into managerial techniques. It is not enough to have technical knowledge in this day and age -- one must know how to motivate others, and to make technology useful in a human context.

For the past ten years I have provided consulting support to governmental, international, and non-profit organizations in the Washington DC area. My services have spanned the fields of information technology; enterprise architecture; business process re-engineering (BPR); web and database development; and training and communication. My various clients have included the World Bank, IBM, AARP, Medicaid, Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Labor -- a virtual Who's Who of major national and international organizations. One of my most recent tasks was a Treasury Department EMPO contract, where I was responsible for the operations and support of the Department of the Treasury Enterprise Architecture Management System (TEAMS).

All of these various efforts have given me vast breadth and depth of insight into how government and non-governmental forms of bureaucracy operate. Combined with higher-level study of managerial and technical theory, I believe I could make an invaluable commitment to the world, working for a service organization of my own design.

The reason I have chosen to focus so much on serving the government and other organizations devoted to bettering the lives of people in my community is because of my desire to feel a part of something greater than myself. Furthermore, my work, although demanding, is only part of my life. Volunteer work has also defined the course of my existence. In the past year alone I volunteered for the Washington Humane Society, the Children's Law Center, DC Green Festival, taught English for Language ETC, and have built playgrounds for KaBoom! I am also associated with AmeriCorps Alums as a policy liaison and its Reserve Corps; a member of the Association of Enterprise Architects DC Chapter; a Red Cross Disaster Response Team member; and part of the Business and Professional Woman's Foundation. I am a committee member of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA), and a Vice President of my condo association.

These various organizations have given me insight into how nonprofits and service organizations function administratively. They must strive to dispense compassion in the most efficient way possible. Not only have I been a member of these organizations, I have also acted as a leader and often had to make hard choices as a leader.