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A portion of Brandon's winning essay:
Like most others, I decided to attend business school in order to improve my standing professionally as well as develop and grow on a personal level. More interestingly, my life has led me on a path where I have acquired experience and education across a variety of disciplines. I have had a chance to explore the military, medicine, psychology, law, investments and banking. As a result of my collective experiences, I have found my interests and aptitudes best aligned with the study and practice of business.
During the course of my adult life, I have worked in a variety of capacities. I spent six years in the U.S. Army, worked every imaginable duty at restaurants while in college, and I have experienced differences in corporate culture at five Fortune 500 companies including three major investment firms. Each of these positions has provided me with opportunities to learn, exploit my strengths and explore areas of opportunity for personal or professional improvement.
Many eighteen year olds share a living space with roommates after leaving their parents' home. After joining the U.S. Army, I ended up living with a variety of roommates in several locations. At one point, I shared a room with 80 other enlistees for 7 months while completing the academic portion of my training as a laboratory technician. I was able to develop a broader sense of understanding for people's circumstances and motivations from a
cultural context; more importantly, I developed the ability to work in and lead teams of very different individuals driven towards a common objective. After nearly two years of training, my primary role in the Army was supervisory in nature. I headed up the physical exam section of a hospital and played a critical role in the execution of blood bank missions. I was responsible for the implementation of training, reviews of my subordinates and logistical planning. My aptitude with regard to leadership and personal excellence was recognized by various awards as well as my promotion through the ranks of the Army from a bottom rung private to a sergeant with supervisory status in only three years.
After completing my active duty obligation, I went on reserve status as I pursued my B.A. While attending the University of Arizona, I worked an average of 35 hours weekly to cover my living expenses and tuition. As a working student, there were times when money was tight (I even had to use a credit card to pay for tuition and books at times) but managed to make it
through college debt-free using only my assets and earnings. I learned the value of hard work and discovered a great deal about my abilities to be resourceful. I am certain my academic performance would have been markedly better had I benefited from more external financial support; but the life lessons of managing struggle and instituting a strong work ethic
have been of tremendous benefit to me in the years since. I worked two jobs as I was edging myself into the investment industry and now put in extra time at the office with great ease as a result of my challenging experience in college. Those lessons have also helped me as I support my wife's endeavor to complete a doctorate in Clinical Psychology. This summer, she
will finish her third year of course study with the remainder of the program focused on her internship and dissertation.
While at Vanguard, in my first licensed finance position, I quickly learned to work with high net worth clients and within months was assigned to conduct training for new employees. I faced my biggest challenge at Vanguard as I serviced the employee helpline, which was a conduit for questions from other licensed representatives. Each of the questions I was tasked to answer came from other experienced Vanguard representatives; usually they involved very rare situations that related to some specific regulatory or procedural matter. This position allowed me to enhance and refine my expertise and develop a great deal of specialized knowledge that I would have otherwise been unable to develop.
One of the principal reasons I pursued and accepted a position with USAA is their focus on employee development and continuing education. Although I have been an employee for just nine months, USAA has provided me with tremendous opportunities to improve myself professionally. I have already been given the opportunity to become an NASD series 7 registered
representative and secure designations such as the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) and the Accredited Asset Management Specialist(AAMS). The broader industry knowledge I have acquired as a result of these opportunities has had a tremendous impact on my ability to provide investment advice, market education and help my clients manage their assets.
I chose to go to business school and pursue a W.P. Carey MBA because it offers me several opportunities to improve myself professionally and personally. ASU has a solid record of creating well-rounded managers, with alumni that influence every industry worldwide. In addition to helping me develop the skills necessary to meet my goals, the knowledge that comes
along with the W.P. Carey MBA will help me improve the standing of my present employer and that of any future employers I might have.
My current employer, USAA, ranks 189 on the list of Fortune 500 companies but serves a niche military market; making the company largely unknown to the general public. USAA is well-renowned in the business community, but much of its reputation and business is centered on the property and casualty insurance that it provides to 11 million members of the U.S. military.
Additionally, USAA offers life insurance, banking and investment products to the public. The investment component of the USAA is the smallest; it serves just 10% of the existing client base and staffs only 3% of the organization's employees.
USAA's corporate structure puts me in a very unique position as an employee. I simultaneously work for a respected firm that has done business for eighty five years and contribute to the growth of a small organization. The W.P. Carey MBA would provide me the foundation and working knowledge to help lead USAA into a well-deserved position of prominence in the investment industry. USAA is certainly competitive from a perspective of quality products and
value to clients but lacks some of the efficiencies of scale that investment firms can take advantage of as their managed assets grow. My goal is to be part of the new leadership that brings USAA to the forefront of the industry. I am confident that this MBA program will prepare me to develop and implement strategies aimed at improving efficiency, marketing
and organization as it applies to a company like USAA.
In addition to aiding the successful operation of business for any employers I may have, the demanding coursework involved with the W.P. Carey MBA program will help me develop the skills and knowledge required for my success as an entrepreneur. I would like to one day run my own asset management firm, with a staff that services high net worth clients with investment management and advice, as well as trust and tax services. The classroom structure at ASU gives me the opportunity to work on teams with high-caliber professionals with whom I hope to foster a lasting relationship and perhaps work with again. As a business owner- especially in the financial industry, corporate valuation is a skill that must be developed. Whether it is to be applied to the books of other firms as a consultant, as a money manager or as an advisor trying to weigh risk and value in a securities issue, understanding what constitutes strength in a
corporation is nothing short of essential. The W.P. Carey courses in Managerial Accounting, Managerial Finance and Managerial Economics will enhance my abilities in this respect considerably. Additionally, ASU offers courses that relate to investment theory and portfolio management that will add depth.
At some point in my career, I would also enjoy teaching in an academic setting. Looking back on my life, the most influential people I have encountered have been educators. Some taught me as a matter of their vocation; some taught me informally, not as an accord of duty but to share knowledge they thought I should have. Passing along an understanding of
sometimes difficult concepts is what I love most about what I do each day. A teacher's skill and knowledge not only impacts the students but allows for a further mastery of the skills or principles being taught. I have long had the desire to teach at the college or high school level. I would likely pursue this goal on a part-time basis as a means to develop and maintain my professional knowledge and acuity, and I would love to pass along my proficiency in a favorite area of study to students. Aside from providing me with credentials and enriching my knowledge base, the W.P. Carey MBA will further my goals to someday become an educator by exposing me to a world class faculty and a variety of teaching styles that have been recognized by various publications for quality.
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