In 750 to 1,000 words, state your professional plans and career objectives (Goals
Statement). The Admissions Committee is also interested in which fields you
expect to do doctoral study and research; how these interests have been
influenced by your prior education, research, or work experience; why you are
considering a career in an academic, research, or clinical setting; and any
information relevant for evaluating your motivation to study and conduct research
at the doctoral level. Please address these questions in your Goals Statement.
(See application requirements for further details)
In the summer of 2011 I left my family, friends and comfort zone to pursuit a higher
education in the United States of America. At the time I didn’t know what that
mission would entail but four years later I am ready to embark on a different
mission. This time better prepared for the challenge ahead of me. (THIS COULD
PART COULD MAYBE BE MORE INTERESTING)
I chose to apply to George Mason’s International Commerce and Policy program
because I believe the program is structured to equip me with the tools to understand
and apply concepts of international trade. The ICP will equip me to leverage
opportunities in both and public and private sectors. In Africa in particular there’s a
high demand for professionals that understand how to hedge the risk on
investments and trade.
I like the curriculum flexibility and the opportunity it gives students to tailor the
curriculum according to their interests. I believe this methodology does a couple of
things. First, it prepares students for their personal career goals and secondly it
makes them experts in a very specific area.
The course sampler session and the open house session heavily influenced my
decision to apply to the ICP program. During the course sampler I was very
impressed by the pedigree of the faculty that teach the program. It is important to
me to learn from professionals that have the experience from the real world.
During my internship at the Zimbabwe National Investment Agency (ZNIP) as a
Research Assistant I followed daily trends on the Zimbabwean economy and whole
Sub-Saharan Africa. Most of this research was to inform potential investors about
investment opportunities in Zimbabwe and in the region, however this daily activity
developed in me a deep curiosity. I wanted to learn
Most of my research interests include how to create trading systems with mutual
benefits to parties involved. In addition to that I have done some preliminary
research on how to develop an inter-trade system for Sub-Saharan Africa. I often
hear that in Africa many things are “ a policy issue” and I’m excited to learn how
policies are shaped and how implement them. When I attended the course sampler, I
was encouraged by the way current events were addressed in the classroom. I
support a realistic lens on issue even if it is not the most popular. This approach for
me is important because it enables the students to think even more critically and to
come up with solutions that fit different realities.
I am a passionate individual and I seek to apply everything I learn. The ICP program
is a very practical and that meets my expectations of a graduate program. I expect to
be in environment conducive to critical thinking and respectful of diversity of
thought.
The challenges of adapting to a new country, educational system and language have
all contributed to my resilience. While I am very proud to have accomplished the
primary goal that brought me to the U.S. I am prouder of the person of have become.
Today the things that drive me are very different from the things of four years ago.
Today I am driven by the opportunity to contribute to create solutions to real world
problems. I wish to continue that journey with the Mason community.
