My Journey Through and To Education. by Allyson

My Journey Through and To Education. by Allyson - December 2015 Scholarship Essay

As a young adult, ten years in to the future is a big jump for me and my path could change at any time. Right now, I see myself managing a group of peers in a business developing curriculums for companies to use in the training of their employees. I wish to develop all sorts of curriculums from emergency response and natural hazard safety to general training of employees specific to the company. This job would also include facilitating these classes and teaching adults in order to help them gain the necessary certifications. Continued education and certifications are necessary for employees in large corporations in order to keep up with the changing environments and to be prepared in any situation.
The inspiration behind this job came from my father. He started working for a company a little more than three years ago who did not have safety plans in place for all sorts of situations. My dad created emergency procedure for natural disasters and instances such as a threat made to a specific building or even an armed shooter(s). These are events that most recently hit home for a lot of people around the world. These recent events really emphasized the importance of these procedures to me and made me realize this is exactly what I want to do. I have always wanted to make a difference and I did not know how; now I do.
Another factor that contributed to my decision was my institution, University of Washington Bothell. I was debating on two bachelor degrees, both very similar to each other. The first one was a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Management and the second one was a Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies focusing in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Social Justice; in the end, I chose the latter. I have always wanted to be a leader and after some experience in retail assisting managers, I knew I wanted to be a manager. The real struggle was what I wanted to be a manager of. I sat down with a pre-major advisor, Emily, and she answered all my questions and gave me all the contact information and general information I needed to know. I then went on to meet with Erica, the advisor for the Education Program. After multiple meetings with her, I had decided that training is more of a passion of mine and that I want to work for a company doing just that.
My education has gotten me this far and now this is how I project it will help me reach my future goals. With this bachelor degree, I must find an internship related to what I want to do. Internships can lead in to a job once I graduate next year. I plan to get a job right out of college and work for a year or two and get my grounding first. Once I get a hold of the field and what it is like to work in that arena, I will go back to school and get a Master’s Degree in either management or curriculum building/training. This Master’s Degree will give me the more finite skills I will need to be a leader in such a group or become the manager (my ultimate goal). I believe that either degree will help me because either way I will gain experience and skills that will help me become proficient in my field and allow me to be a better leader.
In ten years, I see myself being part of a team; but, I first need the experience to get there. Through my education, I will gain experience in the classroom and through internships to become the leader I have always wanted to be. Education, in every aspect of the word, is important no matter what field you are in. Times are forever changing and we need leaders to help human kind move along smoothly with it.