<p>I know that this aspect of the graduate school application process is probably the most important of them all, so I want to make sure I’m on the right track. I am applying for a double master’s in International Studies and Environment and Natural Resources that is based on a year of on-campus studies and 27 months in the Peace Corps. Could someone please review what I have, and offer me advice? It is much appreciated, thanks in advance! </p>
<p>It is funny to me how people tell me they are envious of my travels, yet they cease to embark on their own adventures. They tell me how lucky I am, not realizing that luck had nothing to do with it, but rather hard work and an inherent drive to follow through with my dreams. Though I continue to travel, I still meet people who have traveled more than I, and I also find myself envious. I see people who do more for the environment and their community, and I find myself feeling guilty. Those things though do not make me feel resentful, they only feed my passion to experience more of the world and motivate me to make more of an impact as I do so. I used to also feel envious when I met people who had everything figured out, who knew what they wanted to do, and what needed to be done in order to get there. Now, I can honestly say that I am one of those people. For that, I am grateful. </p>
<p>Since I took my first foreign language class in high school, I have been intrigued with the world in which we live in. I had hopes of studying abroad during college and eventually traveling the world. Unfortunately, as we all know, sometimes things can happen that deter you from fulfilling your goals. Whether it be relationships, family problems or financial problems, the outcome is often the same. I was no exception. For a number of years, I continued working my way through school, feeling every day less satisfied with my life. Finally in the spring of 2011, I decided that I could not take my daily routine, waiting tables, any longer. Because study abroad expenses were out of the question, I had been researching schools in Europe that allowed enrollment with little to no tuition expense if you could pass a basic language assessment. My only option: Spain. </p>
<p>I applied at the University of Barcelona and bought a one-way ticket. Almost everyone thought I was crazy, but it was something that I needed to do. I had worked hard, saved money, and I had nothing holding me back. I knew I would regret it if I backed out. In August 2011, I left, without my acceptance letter in hand, but a back-up plan if I needed it. Turns out; I did. I was told I would be unable to begin until winter term. With no chance of my bank account getting me through a whole year, Plan B led me to a certification course to teach English. I am thankful for how it opened my eyes to the options I have, all over the world. </p>
<p>Following the completion of my course, another girl and I set off to Turkey together, for a contract in a language academy. I immediately re-enrolled in school, online. I would teach university aged students and grade homework during the afternoons while learning and completing my own homework in the evenings. It was not a lavish lifestyle; in fact, it was not much different from the workdays I did at home, but I felt content knowing that I was making a difference in these students lives, while continuing to grow in my own life. </p>
<p>It was during my time in Turkey that I truly realized the value of education. I now understand how important it is to be properly educated, if we are to progress as individuals and societies. This wide-spread education needs to first involve learning and a more complete understanding of where problems lay, why they exist, what needs to change to correct them, and how those changes can be implemented to result in the best possible outcome, for everyone and everything. I firmly believe that the more people know, the better off we all are. I also believe that the reason sustainability hasnt caught on in the way that it should have by now is due to a general lack of education on the topic. If the public had a more adequate understanding of the impacts they were making on the environment, and how those impacts will affect us, down the road, they would be more inclined to make a positive impact. It was this realization that led me to start looking at grad school programs. I started looking at programs that covered all of my interests, in countries around the globe, as soon as this idea clicked inside my head. </p>
<p>After months of looking, I was feeling exhausted and disappointed with my options, thinking I would have to settle on a program that did not really spark my interest. That was until I came across this MIPS/ENR dual masters program at the University of Wyoming. I immediately emailed Carlinda Asay, requesting more information, and my father telling him about this perfect program I had found. This brings me to the more important interest of mine and aspect of this program; the reason it stands out, in my opinion; the environmental aspect. </p>
<p>When I got back into school, I also enrolled into a new program, from a different school. The credits did not apply towards my bachelors degree, but it was something that genuinely interested me. It was a one year certificate program in Sustainable Business Leadership, and I can honestly not thank my teacher enough for the impact he and that program have had on my life. I have always been somewhat of a neo-hippie if you will, in that I always recycle, encourage others to do the same, buy locally, follow events regarding sustainability and support Going Green, but the articles I read, and assignments I did in that program made me realize there is so much more to sustainability than just those simple tasks. I decided while creating a Sustainable Action Plan, that this concept is where I want to focus my education and career. </p>
<p>There is not a doubt in my mind about this program and myself being a perfect match. It offers the ideal combination of my interests in further expanding my global perspective and helping to conserve the environment With my experience in traveling, my grasp on three languages, not including Mandarin which I recently started learning, and my genuine interest and background in sustainability, helping people, and education, I feel as if I could not be a better candidate for this program. With my career goals focused on obtaining a Sustainable Development position with the United Nations, there is no better path than one through the hands on, learning experience offered by a deployment with the Peace Corps. Not only that, but this program continues to simultaneously educate me on both international affairs and how to help encourage global sustainability. I could not be more excited to begin this new chapter in my life. </p>
<p>I feel proud in saying that I now know what I want to do with my life and what needs to be done in order to get there. I have the next few years of my life planed out, and that the plan includes a double masters program in Environment and Natural Resources and International Studies, where I will initially move to Wyoming, a place I least expected. Also, that I plan to enlist in the Peace Corps and furthermore, that when all is said and done, I hope to work for the United Nations, in the Sustainable Development sector, where I can actually help to make a difference, rather than sitting around and complaining. I feel proud in saying those things because I know, without question, that I am on the right track and that my goals will be accomplished, and there is no replacement for the feeling of accomplishment.</p>