A Journey of a thousand miles starts with one small step Lao Tzu My journey began with a small step

p in the right direction that brought me to the United States. It was an amazing opportunity filled with hopes of a bright future, for me and my family. Such a journey is never over until you have achieved all that you set to accomplish. Not to mention all the obstacles and victories you are going to face along the way. My own journey began with a small step, to applying for colleges in America and I have since taken bigger strides to strive for better opportunities. Finishing my undergraduate degree, then obtaining my Green card were the two major strides in my thousand mile journey, thus far. I am now ready for my next major step. I want to finish an MBA in order to better understand the business world and all its nuances (not a fan of this sentence). I want to combine my background in science with necessary business skills in order to work in a management capacity for a biotech/pharmaceutical/technology company. It is with such a vision I am now applying for a Masters in Business Administration. Although, I had a healthy upbringing, growing up in a 3rd world country has its share of pros and cons. The day that I got accepted to college in the United States was one of the happiest days of my life. My family was proud, I distinctly remember my mother falling to tears and my father had a proud grin on his face. It was on this day that I began my journey had purpose and bore its initial fruit. The prospect of leaving all the comforts of home and travelling to a foreign land, where people looked and spoke differently was intimdating and yet very exciting. I remember landing at the San Francisco International Airport and feeling panicked, trying to figure out how to get to the campus dormitories, where I stayed briefly, until I arranged for proper room and board. My journey, ever since, has had its challenges struggles and triumphs. While in my undergraduate program, I faced certain obstacles, which may have discouraged me if it wasnt for all the support I have received from my family and friends. My father lost his main source of income due to several economical downfalls; a civil war against a terrorist group in Sri Lanka hurt major most business practices. Coupled with the global economic recession, these factors were largely responsible for my fathers business misfortunes. I was a junior at the time; needless to say my funding stopped for almost a year because of this ordeal. I was almost without funding for 3 quarters which incidentally put me in the red with accounts department. I almost lost my status as an International Student and I couldnt register for classes. With sheer perseverance and a solid work ethic I was able to avert my loss of status and I was able to complete my degree. There were months that I survived on one meal a day while working more than a full time professional while attending classes in order to maintain my financial obligations for school and living expenses. Such financial difficulties took a toll on my GPA. However, I was not disheartened. I was able to complete what I started and gain valuable experiences. The highlights of my college tenure were all the leadership and management skills I acquired being a student Leader on Campus. Despite all odds of being an international Student I was elected Executive Vice President of Associated Students (Student Government). I was able to represent academic and financial interests of my constituents (huh?). Incidentally, I was appointed Internal Vice chair for the California State Students Association. CSSA is the official recognized student voice for the whole California State University System. Though my background was in Science, my leadership roles in such

nonprofit organizations oriented me to the business and management opportunities within organizations. Since then, I have taken a keen interest in the business world. As a Student leader I participated in some major projects on campus and in the whole CSU system. The fruition of a recreations center on my campus and a second University Union building gave me hands on experience in spearheading committees, executive presentations and balancing organizational budgets. (After finishing my degree) Since then I have worked as an admissions advisor for Heald College, a for profit institution. I have gained valuable experience in account management and consultative sales in this arena. As Part of my responsibilities as admissions Advisor required me to meet I met with hundreds of students, in order to helping them with their higher education goals. I was able to inspire these students to attend college so they can could strive for a better future. For most of them their journey began when they agreed to meet with me for an admissions interview. It was my belief in higher education, and my passion for success that made me a successful admissions advisor. Incidently, my students have inspired me to strive for higher. This is why I believe I am ready to take the next major stride in my thousand mile journey. My experience as business development manager for a family owned startup Technology Company based in Sri Lanka has given me further insight to the business world. I have learned from great mentors; their successes and struggles have left me craving more knowledge about all business processes. Every Journey has its share of perils and opportunities. I too, have experienced such failures and victories. I have cried, I have felt defeated, but now I am stronger, more focused and ready to take on the next big challenge in my life. Inch by inch, step by step; I will complete my journey of thousand miles and I will obtain my MBA.