Attending Graduate School Means Becoming a Role Model by Aimee

Attending Graduate School Means Becoming a Role Model by Aimee - June 2013 Scholarship Essay

For the past two years, I have worked for the Advise TX College Advising Corps, a program that places recent college graduates into low-income, underrepresented high schools to serve as full-time college advisers. I help students fill out college applications, complete FAFSAs, and edit scholarship essays. In my present position, I can only give students a chance to pursue higher education. I have no means to help them succeed once they leave high school.
These students motivated me to pursue a master’s degree in Higher Education. I am aiming to receive the expertise to run freshman transition programs and to influence university policies that increase financial literacy for first-generation students. After attaining my master’s degree, I intend to work either for a university evaluating first-year experience or for a non-profit educational organization that examines retention rates at universities. Graduate school means that I will have the opportunity to impact students' lives and encourage students to pursue their dreams. Graduate school means that I can be a role model-- that education can help one acheive. This scholarship would allow me to have the financial support to pursue this master’s degree and continue my career as a higher education professional improving the education system.