¶ … twenty-five years with the United States Postal Service, a person typically does not make any radical changes to their personal or professional lives. Yet here I am, applying for a Masters Degree in Public Administration. Why? I realize I am not the typical applicant, but it's not like I haven't thought this through, either. My goals have shifted, my values are changing, and now I need to channel my energies to public service. My core goal is managing government programs designed for economically challenged neighborhoods, and the families and individuals living in those neighborhoods. As a transition to public administration from my work at the postal service, I have started to network with community organizers and social workers in the mental health sector. Growing awareness of structural inequities that exacerbate both mental health issues and poverty have caused me to become more interested in what I can do to help, and how. After investigating...
The time has come for me to give back to my community, by helping those who can use my assistance. The particular way I will offer my assistance is by creating, developing, implementing, and coordinating programs that improve access to mental health services in poor communities. This will require diligent work linking politics, social work, and demographic research. My background in economics will finally come in handy, because I also know that a degree of managerial accounting and budgeting will be required for me to accomplish the core goals of the projects I envision.
On a personal level, I have seen what economic disenfranchisement can do to individuals, families, and whole communities. It breaks my heart to see powerful, potent people fail to live up to their potential. I have seen this again and again in my own community,…
