URBS 571 Personal Statement

Education. It is a vital source needed in order to succeed. Though many schools offer a basic education, there are not many that offer the advanced level of learning that ASMSA provides. While attending ASMSA, I hope to be taught at a higher level that better suits my standards. ASMSA will give me the prospect to learn at a level that I can use to challenge myself to better my future.

Coming from a small town on the east coast, I would have never expected to fall in love with such a large and diverse college like the University of Michigan. The upbeat atmosphere of Ann Arbor alone was enticing enough before I even saw the actual campus. Upon visiting, I quickly realized the University of Michigan was a place I would not mind spending my next couple of years. From the countless students all around to the wide variety of shops in town, Ann Arbor seemed like a lively and exciting place to spend my college experience. While walking through the campus, I was continuously amazed by the large intricate buildings surrounding me. Some of my favorites included the Law Library, the College of LSA and the Michigan Union. While I do not plan on attending it, the Ross School of Business was also an incredible

Born and raised in the small town of San Benito by a single mother, I graduated from San Benito High School in 2017 as a first-generation Mexican-American high school graduate. I am currently enrolled at Texas State Technical College pursuing the completion of my General Academic Core as also a first-generation college student.

As a child I learned about the world primarily by experimenting rather than asking someone. That being said, I have had my fair share of failures such as baking gummy bears in cookies. However, I have also had much success. While the rest of my class was growing crystals for our science fair, I was piecing together a coyote skeleton. In high school, I conducted scientific research on drought signals amongst soybeans at varying distances. This research not only took me to the State Science Fair, but the International Science and Engineering Fair as well. I fell into a fascination of science at a young age, and I have a desire to continue on this path. The REU program offered at Tarleton is not only superb in research, but a great fit to me as

My greatest accomplishment as a leader is undoubtedly becoming a member of the National Youth Advisory Board for LoveIsRespect (NYAB). The NYAB is a team of 16 youth individuals who travel the nation holding social gatherings, making presentations, and raising awareness of teen dating violence. Teen dating violence is a prevalent issue, and through joining the board I am able to recognize that each and every young person has a voice, and that our voices have power. Additionally, joining the NYAB has allowed me to reach others in sharing the message that everybody deserves a healthy relationship, no matter what. I believe that I, along with the board, have helped to empower youth across the nation. I was able to accept the honor of becoming

My aim is to pursue a job in the quality improvement department. I realize that when I am in this position, I should ensure the institution is in compliance with the recommended quality standards of the accrediting bodies. This is a team effort that needs the participation of all the employees. Hence, I would encourage the teamwork of the staff to achieve this goal. I would provide the clear idea about the goals and the timeframe to meet it. The team activity would let the staff in the team assume the responsibility to achieve the goals with a unified spirit (Axner, 2015). A good team needs the appropriate team members. They should have a diverse background, expertise and experience so that the input of one person can supplement that of the

After completing a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in energy studies, I began work in the energy conservation sector. One project I worked on was with Target Corporation, where I helped them select the most efficient lighting, refrigerators and air conditioning systems, and advised them on how to operate the building optimally to reduce their energy costs. I learnt a great deal about the impact Target has on the environment, which inspired me to look for a job in this field.

Another unique feature that this project has is the incorporation of high school and college student’s participation in maintaining and leading community engagements for school credit. The reduced dependency on resources for the operation of resource centers and bike stops is an appealing alternative that may have grassroots that spread throughout neighboring communities. I definitely anticipate this project being successful because its initiatives align well with the sustainability goals of the BeltLine project. The Atlanta BeltLine is changing the city of Atlanta with a mixture of trail, rail, housing, greenspace, and art (Atlanta BeltLine, 2016). The Greener Beltline in Atlanta project will add an additional alternative the Atlanta BeltLine’s transit component which is critical for long-term initiatives for beneficial transportation for everyone in the Atlanta region and beyond (Atlanta BeltLine,

Unfortunately, I had to find someone else to speak with due to the fact that all my calls were not returned. I spoke with Bradley Roback at the Department of Planning and Development (DPD), City of Chicago. Bradley Roback is an Economic Development Coordinator for the City of Chicago. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science, Biological Sciences from Illinois State University and obtained his M.S., Master of Sciences, Public Service Management from Depaul University. His concentration is in Metropolitan Planning and Urban Affairs. Prior to his role at the DPD, he was the Director of Transportation Services with the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, located in East Hazel Crest, IL. Bradley's other interest include, creating

In five years, I can see myself in an engineering job that involves travel. Whether it be between company locations, or working with various customers, I want to see the world from a business point of view. I chose my field of study, Plastics Engineering, because the “Plasti-van” informed me it was an option. From a young age I knew I wanted to be an engineer, but in tenth grade the “Plasti-van” came to my school and did a presentation about polymer engineering. It was that day that I fell in love with plastics and knew it was what I wanted to study.

Working for both the government and the private sector, with projects that range from rehabilitation of roadways to design of innovative

I’ve always been interested in people. When I was a kid, I watched endless television and read just as many books. I’d even lie about my age online to enthusiastically contribute to Yahoo! Answers forums about parenting and baby names, and I was one of those eleven-year-olds on Facebook. Narratives fascinated me, and thus, my love for the humanities developed. When high school rolled around and I entered freshman year, I was introduced to filmmaking and its corresponding creative community. Making movies allows me to release constrained emotions and ideas in a visual way, something giving theoretical advice to strangers or watching television didn’t accomplish. That being said, parallel to my interest in the fictional and interactive, I maintain a slightly neurotic obsession with reading the

The development of every nation hinges on the effectiveness of their transportation systems. Movement of goods, services and people to and from work is made possible by transportation systems. The importance of effective transportation systems cannot be over-emphasized. A lot of countries are facing Transportation problems and my country Ghana is no exception. A trip of about 30 minutes can take about an hour or more due to traffic jams. This is seriously impacting productivity and has been a topical issue in the country. The situation is the same in Uganda where I currently work. To this end, Transportation Engineers are needed to design roads/ highways that will stand the test of time, plan effective traffic management systems to reduce travel

This quote from Carol Dweck (Professor of Psychology at Stanford University) has inspired me the way I go about in my life. The belief in continuous learning with the optimistic approach towards hard work, learning and doggedness has always been my motivation. My plans for a master’s degree are centered on the motive of productive research contribution in transportation engineering.

As an urban design intern my role was to assist in the preparation of urban design, planning and landscape concepts as well as produce massing plans and site layouts for residential, industrial, tourism and mixed-use developments. Preparation of urban design guidelines and streetscape schemes as well as management of drawing and report production and multidisciplinary coordination became part of my role as I progressed in the office.