Statement of Purpose

This May I will earn my Bachelors Degree in Business Administration with a major in Economics with a
Quantitative Studies Option from Oklahoma State University. I have always planned to attend graduate
school after completing my bachelors degree. Since I have always been involved and around production
agriculture I want to further my education in economics by starting a masters program in agriculture
economics at Oklahoma State University.
Engineering is in my blood, my granddad is a petroleum engineer, my dad is an agricultural engineer, and
most of the males in my family are engineers. So I have always been interested in how things work and
the different processes that make up these complex machines and systems that run the world we live in.
The first spark in economics for me was Milton Friedmans Free to Choose, listening to the lively debates
of Thomas Sowell, Helen Hughes, and various titans of industry was simply memorizing. The study of
economics encompasses every decision that each economic agent makes and what effects they have on
each other and the markets they participate in. Being an economist forces you to sift through both the
quantitative and qualitative data to try and build models to solve complex problems. Thinking of new
ways to use and manipulate data to forecast events or quantifiable outcomes is both challenging and
rewarding.
Although the undergraduate level the economics courses I took were fascinating and I learned a lot,
theory only goes so far when trying to solve problems in the real world where assumptions cant always
be made. It wasnt until my second year I was able to dive into the application of the theories I learned in
my intermediate macro and micro economics courses. Even though they were not economics courses
prescriptive analytics and intermediate statistical analysis allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of
the tools at my disposal in developing more accurate models that can be applied to economic theory. The
multiple regression analysis was my favorite part of statistics. It was crazy to see how different variables
interacted with each other even though they didnt seem correlative at first glance. Using R programming
I was able to generate regression equations for everyday applications such as determining the effect a
certain neighborhood or school affected the price of a house or volatility in stocks based on time of year
and certain characteristics the companies possessed. In the analytics course I developed my linear
programing and matrix modeling skills by working through optimization, assignment, transshipment, and
goal programming problems. Using these tools, I will be able to better analyze data sets at the graduate
level and build accurate models targeted at increasing efficiency and maximizing returns for producers
I have had extensive Leadership training through the military during my time as a cadet in ROTC. Once I
contracted with ROTC I was able to be in the simultaneous membership program where I shadowed an
infantry platoon leader in the Oklahoma National Guard. At drill at annual training I coordinated training
and conducted training with a platoon sized element. This experience allowed me to develop my skills in
leading a team, writing and issuing operations orders, and working with the command staff to best
achieve the commanders intent for training. Being in the guard has allowed me to work with and learn
from driven highly successful individuals that will do anything to accomplish the mission.
Everyone says they are a fast learner but I have taken that to a new level by successfully testing out of
two years of my degree through CLEP and DSST exams. This means that by the time my age group has
their undergraduate degree I will already have earned a masters degree. Simply put I dont waste time
when I have a goal in mind and I will do whatever it takes to see my goals to the finish line. My drive and
will to win is the cornerstone of my character and I take pride in overcoming any challenges that present
themselves.
During my masters program I want to concentrate my studies in livestock economics. Specifically
focusing on managing risk and developing more sustainable practices on the producer side. I am excited
to delve into course work such as advanced agricultural prices and optimization applications in order to
better develop my skills in analyzing market trends and developing programs for producers to manage
herds more efficiently. Being a part of a project that adds value to herds and allows producers an insight
into new and promising ways of doing business is one of my goals while in the program. The increased
burden of feeding the world has fallen on the shoulders of a select few and with more and more
challenges arising. Producers need the tools and knowledge in order to leverage and use the technology
available to tackle increasingly more complex problems than ever before.