Why I Want To Return To College

On my way back from a Staff Retreat learning how to engage students as a Group Leader, I turned on my phone from a full day with no service. I received a text message saying "So sorry B". I was so lost. After numerous Google searches and trying to confirm the information, but hoping it was not true. I learned that my best friend, my supporter, my 22 year old brother, an AO2 Officer in the U.S. Navy, life was taken at his base in Seattle, Washington. Everything else from that day was a blur. I was now back in NY from traveling to the U.S.V.I for my brother's funeral eager to finish the last two months of my Undergraduate year of College. Though advised by my family, dean, and professors to take the rest of the semester off, I was eager to complete
I was eager to return to school to complete my degree, however, convincing my dean that I was ready to return was a challenge in itself. I returned to college in the Fall in hopes of my completing my degree, but after two months I realized that I was still grieving from my brothers' death. I decided to continue part-time. Though school was my main priority, I was eager to gain skills in areas I lacked to pursue my new career, College Access. I interned at Urban Upbound to gain a better understanding of the College Access and Non-profit world. Because practical experience is such a valuable learning tool, I decided to take the initiative and mentor 5 seniors from my alma-mater in St. Thomas. After completing my fall semester, and I did a number of research hoping to self-educate myself on this new path I was about to take on. I was curious to how Nonprofits functioned and where they received their funding. I wanted to see the other side of the non-profit world to get a greater understanding of the field-Philanthropy. I interned at the Prospect Hill Foundation where I was able to work daily with the Executive Director and Grants Administrator. I gained valuable insight in the world of Non-profits and Higher Education, and realized that those two fields held my place in the world. As I listened to experts talk about what they looked for in an Organization, I was
I plan to later obtain a Master’s degree in Public Administration. The combination of a master's degree in public administration complements the curriculum of higher education administration certificate program very well, providing me with specialized knowledge in the trends and challenges of higher education as well as the flexibility to lead and provide the best service to students in the nonprofit or higher education