Statement of Purpose Masters of Science Program

Masters of Science Program

My professional experience as a demonstrated leader has spanned the past three decades. During that time, I have obtained a multitude of skills pertaining to organizational and individual leadership that have enabled me to successfully guide organizations in the public and private sectors of both corporate and nonprofit businesses. A wide range of my leadership attributes are evinced in my current position as Chief Operations Officer for the entire group of Hightower companies which includes entities dedicated (respectively) to energy, petroleum, construction, and building design/contracting. My professional experience has included functioning in leadership capacities for various organizations in Africa, Western Europe, and North America, enabling me to become adept at mastering cultural diversity and applying it to the benefit of individual organizations. I have achieved formal academic training in various facets of organizational leadership including marketing, human resources, social technologies, economic and legal environmental studies, construction management, auditing, and labor relations. As such, I have held executive management positions in a range of industries including finance, gambling, charity and government, while as chief operations officer at Hightower, I played an instrumental role in doubling our revenue in the last two years

Such a diversity of experience has enabled me to work closely with individuals from a plethora of socio-economic backgrounds, nationalities, religious denominations, and sexual orientations. As such, I believe I am well acquainted with the challenges of leadership in an increasingly globalized society; my track record indicates that I have synthesized such experience and skills to meet the diverse range of organizations I have managed.

It is largely due to this fact that I recognize a Master's of Science in Organizational Learning (MSOL) as vital to my career path, one which has always included concern for my surrounding community. I anticipate that earning this degree will enable me to hone my diverse range of skills and experience in a manner that is most applicable to today's shifting business climate. Despite all of my formal experience in various aspects of leadership, I have never explicitly studied the science of leadership itself. Enrolling in this degree program will provide me the opportunity to do just that and give me a scientific and scholastic basis for stratifying my leadership attributes and culling from them as needed. I believe that the effect of such a degree program will not only aid my professional career but also enhance my ability to function as a concerned citizen in society by giving me a professional framework with which to view matters of civic concern such as homelessness and unemployment -- various social issues which I have attempted to counteract before.

The socially responsive professional project that I aim to develop and complete during my MSOL course of study is an organization that I am looking to found regarding kidney transplants. There is quite a lengthy waiting list for people who need kidney transplants, primarily due to the fact that the majority of donors are deceased. This fact is related to the misconception that both kidneys are vital to life and that donating one while living will somehow negatively impact an individual's life. Largely due to the fact that my husband is on one such waiting list, I have performed substantial research in this field and know that there is very little to prevent a living kidney donor from enjoying a lengthy, fulfilling life. Therefore, the organization I am planning to form would be an advocacy group for living organ donors to help educate the public about the realities and joys of helping others through kidney donations.

I fully expect the academic commitment required to complete this MSOL program to be rigorous and demanding. My experience in successfully completing other educational pursuits at the graduate level has shown me the importance of time management in balancing professional and scholastic work with personal commitments. Doing so requires not only dedicating portions of the day to each of these respective responsibilities, but also doing so in a way which is most advantageous and which allows for individual time to absorb and make the most of these commitments. After finishing so many educational previous educational programs and working with a multitude of organizations, I am aware that prudent temperance, especially that which is organized well in advance, is a necessity to the fulfillment of multiple tasks.