The prospect of attending the XXXX School of Social Work is incredibly exciting for me, my family, and the professionals who have given support in all of my educational and volunteer endeavors. However, the realities of financial ability are all-too-real for my family and me. Upon being accepted to XXXX, I entered into a discussion with my parents about financial aid and concluded that I would need significant aid due to my mother and father’s immediate obligations to my brothers and sisters who also are in higher education. When contacting XXXX regarding financial aid, we were shocked to discover an oversight, namely, my not having checked a box on my application materials to be considered for merit-based scholarships. Speaking with one of your Committee members, we were encouraged to provide the following narrative for your consideration. From the time I was very young, I have understood the importance of giving all I am to education, and this is evident in my scholastic performance. Growing up with a brother who suffered from ADHD, I was sympathetic to his own struggles with education and this laid a foundation for the work I was to be involved in, but more than this my passion for helping others at all costs. To my mind, though, practical experiences, especially those that I have actively sought out, procured and brought to fruition have increased my understanding of classroom theory. For instance, I saw a need in my community, an elementary school struggling to build a relevant collection of books for its media center. I turned this need into a creative endeavor, free carwashes for the public in exchange for a donation of books. Building on the success of this effort, I turned to women and children in need, particularly those fleeing abusive homes, not unlike the flight of people in my own Jewish heritage, escaping deadly oppression. To their memory, and the people in my community, I will not let my heritage, the sacrifices made, to have been in vain. To forget would be a greater tragedy. Social work is more than a natural or logical progression for my education and career; it is everything I am and do. Reaching out to the community is only as good as the application of theoretical understanding that has been earned through relevant academic research. To this end, I have been involved as a research assistant for the Associate Chair of Pediatrics, Dr. Armstrong, at University of XXXX School of Medicine, on a research project and pediatric neuropsychology clinic activities. More importantly, and further convincing me I am on exactly the right path, a social worker observed me working at the hospital where I was conducting my research assistant work. She remarked on how well I worked with an 8-year-old autistic boy receiving cancer treatment. Upon hearing of my graduate education plans, she was thrilled, saying that I had that rare quality, the innate heart, soul and spirit, and kind nature to gently reach people and to comfort. My ability to reach out to people is a reflection of my cultural competency, and coming from a rich heritage, my father from Israel, grandmother from Morocco and grandfather from Egypt. But interning in London, Paris, Prague, Barcelona and sleeping over with a Bedouin family in the mountains of Israel have brought me a worldview no classroom could ever provide, and an increased appreciation of who I am and where I have come from. Moreover, it has given me the ability to communicate effectively with people of myriad cultures and creeds, an invaluable skill for any burgeoning Social Worker. Thank you for your time and consideration.

I am a man of African American heritage and was born and raised in Holly Springs, MS. I have a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, a master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration and I will graduate as Doctor of Pharmacy in May 2013. I was an employee of Walgreens for 9 years, including 5 years as Store Manager, until I started my current course of study in September 2009. It was a very difficult decision to leave a position as Store Manager, which I greatly enjoyed, to embark on a very demanding course of study in a field that was new to me. However, I am a person who is prepared to move out of my ‘comfort zone’, to work very hard and to do all that is necessary to achieve his ambitions. My ambition is to become a District Manager in Walgreens within 10 years and I consider that this program of study, combined with my ‘hands on’ experience as an employee and Store Manager at Walgreens, is one that will get me where I want to be. I can offer a successful and relevant academic record to date and believe that I shall be of even greater use to the company when I complete my current studies which will provide me with a more ‘rounded’ knowledge of its area of business. It is my hope also to provide an example of success to inner city and minority students who might benefit both themselves and their communities by working in health related careers such as pharmacy. I have worked as a volunteer mentor for inner city students and have gained great satisfaction from this activity. I believe that I have ‘made a difference’ in the lives of some young people and hope to do so, even more effectively, in the future when I am a qualified professional in pharmacy. Anyone submitting an application for a corporate internship would naturally make positive comments about the relevant company but my very positive feelings about Walgreens are, I assure you, genuinely held. I regard myself as part of the Walgreens ‘family’ and I hope to re-commence a career with a company that actually does those things that most companies merely claim to do such as seeking to provide genuinely first class customer care, encouraging staff to provide their opinions and actually considering their input, encouraging staff to advance within the company as far as they can go, to enjoy their work and not turn up just for the paycheck as well as many other positives within its corporate policies. I also know that some have reached high executive responsibility from the basic positions within the company which demonstrates the reality of its stated commitments. I seek, and rise to meet, challenges in my life, I am hard working, determined and I relate very well to others and genuinely want to help them to advance by finding and taking all the opportunities open to them. I believe that it will be recognized that I have demonstrated these qualities in my service to date with the company. I know that I can ‘add value’ to the company through applying my personal qualities, my academic achievements and my significant experience within the company. I share the very positive philosophy the company has embraced towards its people and its customers and hope to be in position to apply that myself and help others to do so in the future. Thank you for considering this application.

I am a Canadian woman of French heritage and I am currently based in Paris at the Canadian Embassy and living in Toronto at the moment as part of a three month mission. I speak and write fluent English, French, Spanish and Italian. I am learning Russian and can speak the language. I intend to commence Arabic language classes in the spring. As a small child, I loved maps. This interest developed into a curiosity about the differences and similarities in the way people in these different parts of the map lived, ate, spoke and earned a living. A precocious interest in politics and economics followed. My academic and career choices were never in doubt, I regard international affairs more a vocation than a career. I have a strong interest in, and knowledge of, international affairs. I have in-depth knowledge of the current political and economic situations of all European countries, Canada, the US, China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, Russia and Brazil as well as a good knowledge of those in other countries. I have studied in France, Italy and Spain and have travelled widely throughout western and eastern Europe, the Balkans, North Africa, the Middle East and South America. At an early stage in my wide travels I became aware that anyone and everyone I meet can be a useful source of new or useful information about their country. For instance a chance remark by a taxi driver about the state of his brother’s trucking business can be an indicator as to the state of the local economy which can prompt further enquiries to provide a useful piece of information. I am endlessly curious about the world and love to learn more and more about it. I devour international news on a daily basis. I have a natural ability to acquire new skills and knowledge very quickly. I am a very disciplined, dedicated and hard worker at everything I do. I am considered to be an excellent communicator and love to participate in debate and I continually seek fresh challenges. As a project manager, I have demonstrated strong planning and organizational skills. Apart from my relevant professional experience, I have undertaken a three year internship as a Compliance Analyst for the G8 Research Group and G8 Information Centre, I also undertook voluntary work with the Canadian Human Rights Foundation in Montreal and with Youth Challenge International. I am currently undertaking volunteer work with UNA-Canada whilst working in Toronto. I have also participated in several international Model United Nations Conferences over the past eight years as a chosen representative. It is my hope ultimately to hold a senior post in the Canadian Department of Defense, National Security, or in mediation or conflict resolution working for the UN or NATO. I want to be involved in strengthening international understanding and cooperation, thus reducing the potential for conflict. I hope to undertake research into areas of international security and intelligence/defence. My main focus of interest is emerging security issues and management of conflict/prevention of violent conflict. I am aware that this prestigious programme will attract many well qualified applicants. However I am confident that my academic and professional background, my personal qualities and, most importantly, my genuine passion for my subject will enable me to be a substantial asset to the academic community and to derive great personal benefits from participation.

I speak both English and Spanish. I also have a basic grasp of Italian which was gained during a four month stay in Florence, Italy. I have travelled widely in Europe, South America and the Middle East. I took Psychology 101 merely to satisfy an elective but became immediately and passionately absorbed in the subject and claimed it as my major for my bachelor degree in which I excelled. I have become increasingly fascinated by this branch of learning and now regard its application, especially to the well being of children, as more a vocation than a career choice. I am especially drawn to this program because of its emphasis on multicultural school psychology. I have been involved in teaching in various roles for several years. I tutored children in the age range 4 – 11 years in ‘after school’ classes in various academic subjects in New York between 2002 and 2004 and I also taught English at various levels in Buenos Aires during a 3 month stay in Argentina. I hold a TEFL certificate. I undertook voluntary educational activity in addition to paid teaching work during my time in Buenos Aires. I provided English teaching to members of impoverished communities, these students were of various ages and abilities. This work included an experience of teaching English to a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and teaching basic skills to a severely mentally disabled 13 year old boy. I took great satisfaction from assisting these children and I learned a great deal about relating to highly challenged children to accomplish successful outcomes. I also acquired an appreciation of the individuality of every child and of the need to carefully match teaching methods to each child’s character as well as his level of ability. I have worked with, studied amongst and also taught adults and children from other cultures and done so in several countries and settings. I have also tutored children of different heritages and cultures in New York. I feel that this background has provided a very sound basis for me to profit from the program with its emphasis on psychology field work in culturally diverse environments. If selected, I would hope to undertake research in the areas of physiology and new methods of assisting children to learn in multicultural settings. After successful completion of the Master’s program, it is my ambition to work in New York City schools assisting and encouraging children to overcome obstacles that might limit a successful educational career and to help them realize their educational and personal potential to the maximum possible extent. I am aware that there will be many well qualified applicants for the program but I genuinely believe that my work, volunteer activities and life experiences to date have equipped me derive maximum profit from this program and to be a significant asset to it by enabling me to offer highly relevant insights to my class and to the academic community. Thank you for considering my application for the Master’s program.

I am the child of civil servants who were based in Washington D.C. and, for this reason, became interested in politics from an early age. This led to my subject choices of Political Science and Economics for my Bachelor’s and Public Policy for my Master’s degree. My first job was on Capitol Hill, gaining an understanding of federal public policy and the legislative process. Subsequently I worked in all 50 states undertaking state regulatory and legislative lobbying, this involved the identification and tailoring of strategies taking account of different local cultures and outlooks. I then moved on to federal regulatory and policy representation. I travel extensively in my free time. I have visited 39 countries and have studied French and Russian. I am aware of the basic importance of taking cultural differences into full account when doing business internationally and would enjoy the chance to interact with, and learn from, professionals from other countries and cultures. My most formative professional experiences occurred when I joined Ketchum Global PR. During this time, I had the opportunity to work with of several of the largest US corporations and had the great good fortune to work directly with Fred Smith, founder and chairman of the Federal Express companies who was one of several inspirational leaders and innovators whose methods I have had the privilege of observing at close quarters. Fred Smith recognized at an early stage that very successful businesses which could would all operate globally. I worked closely with Fred on the possibility of moving the US Postal Service to a more privatized and efficient system. We worked together on policy-maker education, we developed a regulatory outline for the privatized parts of the service and created a positioning/marketing campaign to put into effect once the legislation was in place. FEDEX ‘went global’ very early and did so very successfully and I learnt many useful lessons during this time relevant to the program. My next job was with Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. This period also provided me with valuable knowledge, however this time the lessons were in how not to try to enter the global economy. I spent 9 years at BCBS. I gratefully accepted a corporate buy-out and now want a change of direction and one that will equip me to help companies to recognize the opportunities and to overcome the complexities of ‘going global’. I am very excited at the prospect of this change of direction and of working in a cohort of similarly enthused and experienced professionals and of sharing with them. The global economy is a reality and corporations can either ignore this reality and suffer for doing so or embrace it recognizing that dealing with this reality may not be without its problems but carries enormous potential rewards. Corporations are naturally fearful of the cultural, marketing and regulatory minefield when they glance over the domestic ‘fence’ and need knowledgeable guidance to negotiate it. I want to be one of those guides as I understand that, for many companies, it has to be done and I want to learn exactly how it should be done to best effect. It is clear that the pace at which companies recognize that they need to consider the potential to themselves of the global economy is increasing and will continue to do so. My areas of particular expertise are external affairs, branding and positioning, this skill set is highly relevant to globalization but is limited and I recognize a need to extend and broaden it if I am to realize my goal. I am aware that this prestigious program will attract many well qualified and experienced applicants however I believe that I can bring a unique and particularly useful mix of real world experiences of public policy and regulatory maneuvering and of ways of integrating public policy with business strategy and corporate development. I can also bring a ‘Washington insight’ on corporate communications, external affairs and public policy. I know that I can ‘add value’ to my cohort and the business academic community.

I am currently finishing my BSc in engineering degree in the Department of Electrical and computer Engineering at University of XXXX and I hope very much to continue on to graduate school. While originally from China, I have made Toronto my home because I love the city very much. I could not imagine being anywhere else that would make me so happy as to have the privilege of continuing on at the University of XXXX as a graduate student in the department of Electrical and Computer Enginerring at the U of X. I have devoted my undergraduate studies to the development of electronic devices and computer hardware. I hope very much to be accepted to your program because I am especially interested in doing research in the areas of electronic devices and circuits, along with hardware systems. My short term goal is to complete my Master’s Degree with your highly esteemed program and then gain adequate professional experience as an electrical engineer in the chip designing industry. In addition to English, I also speak Chinese (Mandarin). My service as an intern has also helped to prepare me to excel in your program since I had the privilege fo serving with AMD-ATI in Toronto for 16 months as a Hardware Validation Engineer and this experience serve as the foundation for my development of a broad range of professional skills. I have greatly come to respect and appreciate multicultural diversity, and have traveled to a variety of cities in California, and Nevada, New York and Arizona as well as Sydney, Adelaide, and Melborn in Australia. I have also visited other cities in Canada as well as China. I have been living here in Canada now for 7 years and I am very eager to go to graduate school as a result of my high level of motivation and dedication to my work. I seek to follow a long tradition in my family of professional investigation into electrical devices and circuits as well as hardware systems. I now have advanced professional experience resulting from my participation with various projects that have helped me to advance my sense for design, testing, and verification procedures as well as communication skills. In my digital system course, as a project leader, I led a small team of two to develop and test a computer-based game design using Verilog Language and communicate digital signals between I/O and FPGA machine. Instead of using the t provided VGA port, I designed and built a VGA port with a supporting circuit to improve the resolution. We demonstrated our final project by writing reports and providing an oral presentation of the the design to our colleagues and professors using PowerPoint. Completing this project helps to support my application to your program as a result of the experience that I have gained in design, verification and communications, which were of strategic importance for this AMD position. Having worked as a leader of a software web server project has given me to opportunity to create and improve the advanced design flow using C++ language to communicate with different users through the internet. I also employed the parallel programming system to maximize our team efficiency. My experience in China’s military helped me to become highly disciplined and proficient at time management, I deeply understand and respect the meaning of team work and discipline, which always drives me to excel in the creation of positive energy so that I can animate my colleagues to perform at an optimal level. I am an enormously hard worker and this is perhaps my greatest asset. My 2 month living experience with Chinese troops, arranged by my high school, was also a foundational experience for me.. We ate and received trained with soldiers everyday in order to experience the solid spirit and strict discipline possess by each soldier. I feel strongly that I will benefit for the rest of life from this experience because I now know how to treat others and benefit from the experience of respecting orders and surviving in extreme conditions My 16 months of internship experience as an electrical engineer with AMD, one of China’s two biggest semiconductor companies, has also very much helped to prepare me for your program. I am confident that my skills and experiences will enable me to make important contributions to your excellent Master’s program where I will give my all and very much hope to excel, becoming a valuable asset to your team. I would like to meet with you to further discuss my qualifications. Thank you for taking your time to review my application.

I am enormously excited about the prospect of beginning your program to complete a Master Degree in Nuclear Energy. I see nuclear energy as the central key to cutting our dependence on fossil fuels and cleaning up our environment. I am from Poland and I am especially concerned about the egregious levels of pollution in our country and very optimistic about our future once we more fully join in the quest for clean, nuclear energy. I want to thank Parisian research partners for creating this novel program that brings so much research and education together in the nuclear domain at this most critical juncture in our history. Completing the Master Degree in your program will enable me to work not only on the cutting edge of saving our planet but to also help my native Poland to becoming an increasingly productive member of our European Economic Union. I have a long history of professional development that is very much intertwined with engineering and management issues. My own academic training so far has been in the area of supply chain management and electronic data interchange, which I am confident has helped to prepare me to excel in the nuclear energy sector. Furthermore, I am currently enrolled at Poland’s the University of XXXX and will be completing a postgraduate programme this coming August of 2011 in the Basics of Nuclear Energy/ Poland is in the process of developing a nuclear programme and I want very much to serve my country in this critical moment. I am a native speaker of English and I also hope to use this gift in the service of helping to make our nuclear program possible. I also have achieved an intermediate to advance level of fluency in writing, reading and speaking Russian, which may also be quite useful for my future in nuclear energy. My central career goal is to labor to solve practical problems in the energy sector. In addition to completing our postgraduate programme in the basics of nuclear energy. I am also taking private lessons in advanced mathematics, physics, and chemistry to enhance my capacity in these three critical areas. The greatest contribution that I might be able to make to society would be to spend my life working to provide cheaper, cleaner and safer sources of energy. In my case, I want to make my contribution by helping to discover new ways of using nuclear energy more effectively. I have worked in Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean for 2 years (January 2008 – January 2010), studied in the UK for 1 year (September 2006 – August 2007), and worked in Russia for 1 year (October 2005 – September 2006) Thus, I have been exposed to numerous different approaches to problem solving in a variety of areas of technological application. After completing your program, I hope to help install Poland’s first nuclear plant which is expected to be fully operational by 2020. This will enable me to have the profound satisfaction of spending my life on the cutting edge of the development of safe, cheap and clean energy by converting nuclear energy first into heat and later electricity. Completing your program in France will be the central key to my success in the service of Poland, and, by extension, all of Europe and humanity at large. I sincerely thank you for considering my application and look forward to meeting you soon.

I was born and raised in Saudi Arabia and came to Montreal with my husband in 2008. I am 26 years old and have studied my whole life to become a teacher. I love technology and especially enjoy combining technology with education, which is why I am applying to study towards the Masters Degree in your highly esteemed program. I am especially looking forward to doing research in the areas of educational methods and how to improve them. My long term goal is to attain the PHD Degree and become a university professor. Most importantly, I am a very dedicated researcher; this is my central passion and my greatest strength, my dedication to hard work and my academic curiosity. Our system of education needs a lot of improvement in Saudi Arabia and I look forward to being at the forefront of educational reforms in the future. At the moment, I am keenly looking forward to learning everything that I can at XXU, especially about methodology, theory, and technological advancements on the forefront of educational pedagogy and practice. I am a well read and well traveled global citizen who has spent significant periods of time in many countries in addition to Canada, including the USA, the UK, Switzerland, Italy, France, the UAE, Malaysia, Singapore, Lebanon, and Egypt. These experiences have helped to make me a more cosmopolitan woman who is now well versed in Western culture. This degree will enable me to achieve my goals since I want to teach in an academic institution and to become as capable and effective teacher as possible as well as an educational consultant in the future. I want to facilitate learning and improve performance by using the most advanced and progressive processes and resources. I hope to teach in the university where I studied in Saudi Arabia and to contribute in the future to vastly improving education, in other Saudi Arabian universities as well. In Saudi Arabia, we are lagging behind the West in our use of Internet applications in the classroom and I especially look forward to focusing my energies on this challenge. I have thoroughly investigated many programs and XXU is a very well known institution worldwide. I feel happy and proud to have the chance to apply here, especially since I have already been studying as an independent student at XXU in the School of Extended Learning at the Center for Continuing Education. I enjoy studying at XXU enormously and I sincerely hope to be accepted to your program so that I can earn my Master’s Degree here. I have also become so very fond of Montreal, especially because it is such a multicultural and multilingual city. I am working very hard at improving my French. I am a very dedicated student and a very hard worker. I assure you that I will give my all to your program and I want to thank you very much for considering my application to your program.

“The word needs dreamers and the world need doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do.” Sarah Ban Breathnach. I am a 24 year old Bolivian woman and live in Ottawa. Coming as I do from a developing nation, I realize, perhaps more than most people, the importance of equal opportunities. I hope, one day, to be involved in designing policies that will enhance opportunities for Bolivians who are disadvantaged, especially the most excluded and vulnerable among them and thus assist the general development of my country. I am considered to be a hard-working and creative person. I have had some very original research ideas and I feel that I can provide a useful contribution to the academic community in this way. The preparation of my law degree Bachelor Thesis, "Indigenous Peoples as New Subjects of International Law" involved a great deal of research which I believe is relevant to the program for which I am applying and for which I received an ‘Honorable Mention’. I have assisted at various conferences, courses and seminars. One of the most important of these was a students’ encounter entitled ‘Worldwide Indigenous Peoples and The Diplomatic Academy’, this event was hosted by the Bolivian Diplomatic Academy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I acted as a volunteer co-ordinator for the event during which recognized international indigenous peoples experts, such as (Bartolome Clavero, Nina Pacari and Rodolfo Stavenhagen) participated. I was particularly interested in a simulated UN debate in which indigenous people provided input regarding those matters that they wanted to be addressed by the international community. This event was the one that really fired my interest in the subject of International Affairs especially in its potential to beneficially influence the development of Indigenous Peoples. It helped me to understand the link between development, culture and identity for Indigenous Peoples; true development being that which takes full account of the cultural, economic and spiritual choices of the peoples affected and is not solely economic in its effects. I am especially interested in undertaking research in this area of the linking of development, culture and identity and in ways of maximizing the engagement of members of the indigenous peoples in all decisions that affect their lives. I strongly believe that the traditional concept of development has been one of the the principal causes of the global crisis, because it is almost exclusively focused on economic growth. It is necessary therefore to formulate a new concept of development which takes account of ecological, cultural, social and spiritual criteria and will thus provide more meaningful measures nationally and globally. I consider that, if the linkage between development, culture and identity is acknowledged and applied in formulating policies, it will be beneficial not only in empowering indigenous peoples and in preserving their cultures but also in enriching society in general and will have a positive impact on the wider society, in preventing and resolving conflict, enhancing democratic governance and sustainable management of the environment as well as offering real economic improvements. I am sure that the prestigious MA program in International Affairs at XXXX University is the best ‘next step’ that I could take in achieving my long term goals and hope that I might be offered the opportunity to participate in it. Thank you for considering my application.

I am a young man from the Middle East who is especially interested attaining the MBA Degree in the United States. XXXX’s MBA Program is my first choice for graduate school because of its excellent reputation as well as the excellent reputation enjoyed by broader academic community and the location of your university. I am convinced that I would be able to give my all to my studies at XXXX University and that I would be able to excel at high performance in this setting. I believe that I have what it takes to excel in business because I am a very social person who is very dedicated to his studies and professional advancement. I have long been fascinated by the business world and, thus, have long cultivated what is for me a very natural interest and curiosity in stocks, bonds and real estate markets, etc., and very much enjoy studying all of these facets of business and the economy here in America. I enjoy living each day in English, the full immersion in a new language, and find increasing satisfaction in becoming a fully bilingual professional in my field. I finished my BBA Degree in Finance last May of 2010 from the University of Texas at Arlington and I am now very excited about soon entering a graduate program in a related field that will prepare me to fulfill my long term aspirations since I hope to someday function as the CFO of an oil company or to manage a Bank. I want very much to continue to develop my teamwork and leadership skills and to prepare myself for shouldering increasing levels of responsibility as I make progress in my career. I feel that it is important for the business professional to strive to be multicultural and to be open to learning new languages to demonstrate a commitment to multiculturalism. This is one of the reasons why I have progressed to an intermediate level in my understanding of both Spanish and French, speaking and understanding as well as reading. I have also spent considerable time since high school developing professional experience in the banking sector, working for a commercial bank part time in my native Riyadh, which included one full summer training in the Investment Department. This experience helped to further increase my interest and motivation for my studies in finance and banking. I have always enjoyed learning all that I can about economics in general and the world of finance in particular, books, magazine articles, etc. In fact, I am becoming increasingly well read in a broad variety of areas including culture and history, in addition to my passion for sports, particularly swimming and basketball. The greatest contribution that I might be able to make to society would be to build up a charity institution since I also feel that it is important for the business man or woman to not only be socially responsible at work, but also to devote part of her time or energy to making the world a better place for the less fortunate among us. I also look forward in the future to working on behalf of an institute devoted to financial management training for new generations of Saudi students. My cosmopolitan character and appreciation for multiculturalism has also been fostered by my travels; since my childhood, we have traveled almost every year to at least one foreign country. Thus, I have had the privilege of spending important periods of time in the UK, a full month in Beirut, and I have been to France on several occasions as well as visiting various areas of the United States, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Houston, and Boston. I especially enjoy London and Chicago since both are such noted centers of global financial transactions as well as serving as home to many leading finance institutes. I enjoy spending time on the stock exchange and New York will always be special to me for this reason. I have faced many obstacles to achieving the success that I have in life. I am a very serious student and my good grades enabled me to attain a complete scholarship from the government of Saudi Arabia to pursue my Master’s Degree in the US. I worked at the Ministry of Finance as a Treasury coordinator for almost 18 months. After that, I worked in Budget management. These opportunities allowed me to practice my management skills to the point that I now consider myself an ambitious perfectionist who would someday like to serve in an executive management in position in the Saudi Ministry of Finance. I thank you for considering my application to your distinguished program.

I am applying to your world-class executive MBA program because I am convinced that the greatest contribution that I might be able to make to society would be to create circumstances where not only I can help the less fortunate but also influence my peers to work towards a better business environment which serves a more ethical and meaningful purpose. I am a Pakistani man who looks towards the development of global economic ties as the principal solution to solving so many problems facing the world today, especially for my native country. I am a networking professional who sees the Internet as fundamental to progress in building business ties and making our global economy work more effectively. I am especially interested in doing research in the areas of International Business. My two main career objectives are to be the CEO of my own company and to make a difference in the lives of less fortunate people. These objectives are interlinked as being in such a position will make it easier for me to make a major impact in the lives of such people. Perhaps my greatest strength and virtue is my compassion, and the fact that I am a very hard worker. I have been very busy this year not only preparing myself for your program but also working as a volunteer here in Canada raising survival supplies for flood victims in Pakistan. Our operations were based in Toronto. I especially love using the media to inspire and urge other individuals to help in any way that they can. I have diversified work experience, mostly working to increase the market share of our well-established family company and generate considerable profits in marketing sphere. I am highly motivated and very adaptable. I have traveled a great deal, having spent significant periods of time in Austria, England, Switzerland, Holland, Germany, as well as visiting many states in the US. The places that I know best however and consider to be home are Kuwait, Canada, and my native Pakistan. Most of my travels have been business trips, meeting clients, and increasing our exposure in new markets, gaining knowledge about business practices. After careful deliberations, I have decided to apply to the University of XXXX’s School of Business because of its well integrated and extremely creative curriculum which will serve as as an important ladder in my professional career. I want to be a success story and not just admire people who have done it before me but be a part of history. I want to be a business innovator and start my own international company. My experience in the business world thus far has taught me a lot about how to make effective business decisions at the right time for the right reasons. My native Pakistan faces so many critical problems in its development and attaining the MBA at XXXX will enable me to help my people move into the 21st century and enjoy a greater participation in the global economy. I deeply appreciate your attention to my application.

I am a 22-year-old Somali man who was born in Connecticut and raised in many different countries, the Ivory Coast, Cairo-Egypt, Rome-Italy, and Nairobi-Kenya, in addition to Somalia. My first language is English but I am also fluent in French and Somali. My Italian is rusty and my Arabic needs a lot of work. My short term goal is to give my all to your program. My long term goal is to everything that I can to help the Developing World, especially Africa. With my multinational experience, I feel that I am a strong candidate for a career in IR. My longstanding interest in IR motivated me to major in Political Science with a Concentration in IR as an undergraduate. I especially enjoy doing research in areas related to human rights and conflict resolution, particularly ethnic-based strife and subsequent secessionist conflicts. I completed a yearlong research thesis at The College of XXXX on this topic, dealing with the practice of recognition of states. I look forward to continuing this research and incorporating more case studies. I have long been interested in questions of statecraft as related to the nature of our international political system, state as a primary actor as related to international law. I spend a lot of time reading about human rights abuses that accompany violent secessions. Who dictates what makes a state? And what are the necessary conditions for successful recognition of statehood and peaceful nation-building? My long term goal is to work with a prominent international non-governmental organization, USAID, or the US State Department as a Foreign Service Officer. I have always been engaged in extra-curricular activities and volunteer work from high school through college. For example, I volunteered at an AIDS orphanage called XXXX House where I was in charge of helping the staff to clean, play with, and monitor the children. I have also had the opportunity to work for a prominent NGO, XXXX where I served as a Humanitarian Intern at their Nairobi Office. I conducted research, completed situational reports, and went on field assignments to remote areas in Somaliland (Somalia). These experiences cemented my decision to apply for graduate school in IR and pursue a career in international development and human rights. I have much more to offer than just drive and ambition. I am a highly compassionate and cosmopolitan African man who is very sensitive to different cultures and customs. As a global nomad and third culture kid, I have been exposed to a vast array of world-views that have cultivated my truly global, multilingual character and identity. I have lived in African and Third World poverty; it is in my heart. I am able to easily adapt to many different situations and new experiences, connecting with people from different backgrounds. I am a global citizen. Richmond American International University's Masters Program in International Relations is the ideal setting for my graduate education, providing me with a wide range of professional opportunities down the road, providing assistance to development programs and/or initiatives aimed at improving the livelihoods of people living in developing countries. I have been traveling my whole life and currently reside in Kenya with my family. I have spent long periods of time in East Africa, Europe, North America and the Middle-East and this background is the strongest part of my application to your program: my linguistic abilities, cross-cultural skills, tolerance, understanding, and multidimensional world-view. My decision to apply for this program is motivated first and foremost by my long-standing desire to pursue a career in international development. I believe that the Masters Program in International Relations at Richmond American International University in London would provide me with the ideal venue for attaining the necessary education and skills required of a professional in the non-profit and NGO sector at the same time that it also prepares me to become a civil servant: so that both options remain open. Both my academic and non-academic experiences have led me to undertake this next endeavor to reach my goals. To study at XXXX University would be a great opportunity in countless ways. At the College of XXXX, I was Co-founder and Public Relations Officer for UJAMAA, the African Students Association, Liaison Officer for NOOR, helped with our Model United Nations, and served as Co-Chair of the DREAM Program. I have learned from all the ups and downs of these experiences and become much wiser and more creative. My coursework, such as “International Political Economy,” “Social Movements,” “Nationalism and Interdependence,” and “Ethics from a Social Perspective,” to name just a few, have all provided me with key theoretical concepts that I was able to apply to current issues and real world observations. I studied various competing schools of thought and wrote challenging, critical essays, research projects and presentations. Furthermore, a liberal arts education was beneficial to me as it allowed me great freedom in selecting courses outside of my concentration that were highly relevant to the development of my career focus. For instance, taking courses in “Africana Studies,” “Religious Studies and Sociology” in addition to IR, have provided me with new perspectives, concepts, and approaches, oftentimes-overlapping with my central topics of interest. I have learned to think more critically and intuitively, knowing that my education did not end in the classroom—it began there. Outside of the classroom, our revival of the long- dormant African Students Association (UJAMAA), our reconstruction of the only faith-based, Muslim Students Association into a more welcoming new organization (NOOR), all helped me to develop new skills, such as advertizing, event coordination, panel discussions (e.g. Faculty Roundtable Discussion on the Political Violence in Kenya in 2007, from a student representative), and a lecture on the history and relationship between Somalia and Ethiopia at Orrville Public Library that was later featured in The Daily Record Newspaper). My Senior Independent Study Research Thesis, was entitled “Winners and Losers” An Analysis of Secession and The Recognition of Statehood: A Comparative Case Study of East Timor and Somaliland. This 180-page, yearlong research thesis, sought to address the implications of unrecognized states in an inter-state system, and the practice of granting recognition. I secured high profile interviews with government officials and prominent public figures in Somaliland, including the Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Planning, President of the University of Hargeisa, CEO of Edna Adan Hospital and Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms. Edna Adan, as well as Dr. Hussein Bulhan, professor, author, psychiatrist and activist for political conflict resolution. As a Humanitarian Assistant working closely with and reporting to the Humanitarian Coordinator at the Somalia/Somaliland Program Office in Nairobi, I performed a number of important assignments, such as a monthly Situational Report (SITREP) on all aspects of the Office’s activities, goals and accomplishments; thus, I touched base with nearly every professional in the office to gather information. Thus, I learned a great deal about nearly every aspect of Oxfam’s development and humanitarian activities. I conducted research and data collection during numerous field assignments all over Somalia: the effects of drought and extreme poverty first-hand. We also developed and implanted immediate solutions, such as digging a “borehole,” a man-made hole in the round that would catch rainfall to serve as drinking water for livestock. In short, I ask to be accepted to your program so that I can spend the next 60 to 80 years or so helping Africa to develop: learning, loving, sharing, always growing. I want to struggle to make this world one world, lifting up our most poor to lift up ourselves.