Where have you been? Question #1

I know... I know that everyone missed me this past weekend...(at the bar and at this space).

The reason of my lately absence is because I have been working on my essays for grad school. I thought, I would share them in here because they are are reflection of how I have changed during my College experience at Augsburg.

1. Why have you decided to pursue an MBA? Provide detail on objectives you will establish for your MBA experience and contributions you will make to the UST MBA community.

In the last few months, a number of people have challenged my decision to pursue an MBA immediately after college. Many have told me that I should get a job and wait until my employer offers to pay for my graduate degree. However, as an international student in the US, there are additional pressures that make it hard to find an employer who will not only sponsor my work visa but will also pay for my graduate education. Therefore, I cannot and do not wish to rely on some future possibility which, at this point in time, seems rather unlikely. With that in mind, I have decided to apply to the full-time MBA program at UST and have set out certain objectives that I would like to accomplish while earning my graduate degree.
First of all, I would like to solidify my understanding of the major concepts in business and develop skills that will allow me to transform the theoretical knowledge gained in class into practical solutions. While at Augsburg, I was not able to concentrate on my classes as much as I would have liked, mostly because I had to balance my time between school and 3-4 jobs in any given semester. Often times I worked virtually full-time since that was the only way I could afford to live in the United States. As an MBA student at UST, I would like to concentrate my time on expanding my knowledge of business and acquiring skills that are essential to this profession. I plan to become a professional who will be confident and ready to enter the job market after graduation. I would like my future employer to feel comfortable and to rely on my work. In order to achieve that goal, I anticipate to work hard and to increase my confidence by gaining as much practical experience as possible during my attendance at UST. I have chosen the University of St. Thomas because of its strong connections to the business community in the Twin Cities. As an MBA student, I would like to have an opportunity to meet other UST alumni and to learn what their experience has been in their respective fields. Lastly, I would like to improve my written and oral communication skills, which, I believe, are fundamental to the business profession.
I am aware that unlike many other applicants, I will not have full-time work experience by the time the program starts in the fall of 2009. I am also aware that generally, work experience is preferred because those who have been employed full-time bring a wider variety of views into the classroom which ultimately makes the program experience more valuable for all participants. However, I believe that despite my lack of work experience, I will still be able to contribute to the UST MBA community in a number of ways.
In today’s global society, it has become an absolute necessity for a business professional to understand and be respectful of cultural differences. I believe that with my international background and experience I can add certain value to the UST MBA program. After graduation from High School I worked for a law firm in Mexico City which exposed me to the business culture in Mexico. Today, having lived in the United States for almost 4 years, I can identify some of the cultural differences that influence the way business is conducted in the US and in Mexico. Further, I believe that I have strong leadership skills that will positively impact my participation and contribution to the UST MBA community. At Augsburg I have chaired two student organizations and have been employed by the department of residence life where I lead a staff of resident advisers and managed the facility issues in one of the residence halls.
I believe that my objectives and characteristics make me a strong candidate for the full-time UST MBA program and it is my hope that I will have an opportunity to join the class of 2011.