ESSAY # 1

WRITE A CLEAR AND DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF YOUR STUDY OBJECTIVES, and give your reasons for wanting to pursue them in the U.S. Be specific about your major field and your specialized interests within this field. Describe the kind of program you expect to undertake, and explain how your study plan fits in with your previous training and your future objectives.

Since I started my professional career I have strongly believed that poverty is relieved and development is generated by integrating more ostracized people into the market in a responsible and sustainable manner. In order to accomplish this complex goal well thought out programs have to be implemented. I feel that studying a Master in Public Administration (MPA) in the U.S will help broaden my economic development toolkit and will enable me to create a bigger impact than I can in the present. I have learned to implement responsible microfinance, weaving cooperatives, and local procurement programs; however, I still feel that additional skills will help me to broaden the positive impacts in the work that I execute.

After doing a granular research on the MPA programs across the country I have really tremendous expectations for the programs I can be accepted. Basically, I expect a program that will strengthen my ability to implement socio economic programs with the same effectiveness and efficiencies as a corporate professional but bearing in mind the social, communicational and political complexities we are surrounded in our communities. I expect to strengthen my ability to properly manage sustainable development projects considering concepts like budgeting, management, and finance. Also, I am very keen to be in a classroom with trues paragons that have lead complex negotiations around the world and who can teach me how to properly lead communities into economic development. In addition, I expect to be in a program that can strengthen my ability to evaluate the success of the projects I have executed. In my experience I have implement, execute and evaluate the success of different programs; nevertheless, a proper framework will be extremely my toolkit. I expect a program that will help me manage complex socio- economic programs as effectively as any professional, while bearing in mind the sensitivities required for its implementation.

I believe that pursuing my studies in the states is paramount because the quality of programs draws the most competent faculty and applicants from around the world. Having the option to choose faculty such as Jeffrey Sachs or Noam Chomski, while sharing a classroom with a student body that is around 40% international is just fascinating. Second, the US is the developed nation that is closest and have strongest ties with Latin America. This will allow me to learn the concrete skills required and come back to Latin America and implement what I have learned, or stay in Washington D.C or New York and from there lead development programs for Latin America. Third, studying in the US will allowed me to face much larger challenges that I would in Peru. The scale of the programs in the US tend to be much larger. Therefore, it will allow me to come back to Peru to assume leadership positions for positive social change. Fourth, I really like the American culture in the sense that people are usually goal orientated, driven, still believe in meritocracy, and faculty and students tend to respect and listen a different opinion, at least from my experience. Finally, there are not solid MPA programs established in Peru.

Studying an MPA, even though a bit old to start, I feel it fits perfect with my previous experience for many reasons. Studying at Colorado College allowed me to channel my passions in the proper directions. Professors such as Walt Hecox, Juan Lindau and Andrew Price Smith showed me, through my International Political Economics degree, that if programs are implemented properly I could contribute to abridge the gap among the rich and the poor. The most unexpected thing was that Colorado College put me in a one way street meaning that I would spent the rest of my life doing development work integrating poor people to the market. Therefore, strengthening my knowledge by learning proper and proven concrete skills in my MPA program will allow me to become the change I want to be in Peru. In the future I want to keep pursing development work either at government or in energy-mining companies that have large budgets for these type of programs. Nonetheless, if I want to rise and standout among my peers I need to learn new skills.

This Curriculum Vitae should be a narrative statement concerning your professional, academic and future plans. It should not be a mere listing of facts.

It should include information about your education, practical experience, special interests, career plans, and your purpose in applying for study in the U.S.

Describe any significant factors that have influenced your educational or professional development.

Advanced students should comment on the number of years of practical experience already completed in the field in which academic work will be done in the U.S. and describe briefly the most advanced courses already pursued in their field of study. (Do not mention specific U.S. institutions in your Curriculum Vitae.)

The most significant factor that influence my life today was my upbringing. Growing up in two distinct places, in two different worlds, while so close to each other had a severe impact on the way I see life today. My house was located in a middle class neighborhood in Lima, while my father´s factory was mild in the textile center of Lima. The latter was surrounded by poverty and crime. Being able to move live in both worlds since a child sensitized me about the inequality we lived as a community in Peru. This factor, will later help me chose my path in life.

At highschool I focused my energy in 4 elements mainly. First, becoming the best student I could possible be by participating in the international baccalaureate. Second, becoming the best athlete I could and becoming one of the few students at my school that represented Peru in an U17 South American basketball tournament. Third, becoming a representative leader in my class and school after being elected by my peers as a prefect, and later as a senior prefect and chair of the sports council. Finally, fostering social change by leading the implementation of an NGO ACTITUD that basically developed social quality among mentally challenged children through sports and interaction with my peers.

Due to my upbringing and my willingness to make a change I decided I needed to pursue a major that will help me channel my passion for social change. Unfortunately, there were no majors that could satisfy my needs in Peru and that forced me to look outside. Fortunately, the Fulbright appeared and assisted me into obtaining a scholarship at Colorado College (CC) and study International Political Economy.

At CC I learned about myself, about being responsible for myself, and how to be content with my desires for change. Through classes like sustainable development, international development, ecological economics, among others CC faculty and my peers taught me I could part of the solution I was looking for. Then, I started researching for volunteering opportunities. My first and most significant volunteer opportunity was working in an indigenous Shipibo community in the amazons of Peru for an environmental- educational NGO. There I learned about the stark reality of extremely poor children and how hard would it be to integrate them into the system. In that community people were faced with malnutrition, illiteracy, disease, and other components that would strengthen their vicious circle into poverty. This experience made me go back to the states and look for tools for development. At the end of my search I felt microfinance was the strongest

tool. All this happened while playing Division III varsity basketball at CC. As a concequence, after graduating I decided to leave for Guatemala to work in microfinance as a volunteer.

In Guatemala I initially volunteered and after three years become the Business Manager at Friendship Bridge, a Colorado based NGO, that provided microloans and non formal education to indigenous women in the highlands of Guatemala. Friendship Bridge, was a fascinating experience. There I accomplished the following results. Supervise and control the loan portfolio, accomplishing a 45% growth of the portfolio from 2009 to 2010, by rising the monthly disbursement goal by 50%. Define the branch and field staff´s geographical area of work and schedule, allowing a 50% increase in productivity by loan officer, measured in number of customers. Provide close follow up to the delinquency, collection practices and strategies that lead to a 28% delinquency decrease from 2009-2010. Provide close follow up to the only three fraud cases, allowing a loss of US$2,000 among the three, versus the millionaire frauds that happened during the 2007-2009 period. Develop the first policies and processes (both in English and Spanish), specific training manuals and their respective evaluations, consumer protection manual and effective monitoring, enabling the standardization of processes at the institutional level. Interim Regional Manager: Managed 4 branches and 30 field staff. Became responsible of the Kiva portfolio and raised US$400,000 in the website during the 2007-2008 period. Have one of the highest follow up journals per loan rates across the continent allowing FB to become the institution that raised funds quickest in Latin America during 2007. Manage an international team of 3 people.

Simultaneously, I was offered the opportunity to lead the restructuring the process of a weaving cooperative called Comunidad K´em Ajachel which was a weaving cooperative that grouped weavers from around Lake Atitlan. These were my main accomplishments. Introduced CKA to the formal sector and open two stores. Opened the international market for CKA and closed two deals with American and British customers for orders of $ 10,000 each. Flipped the financial situation around, in a year, in which $ 10,000 was owed to suppliers and creditors, to have a profit of U.S. $ 7.000 without debts, turning CKA into a sustainable business. Developed the business strategy that established the brand in the market. For this to be accomplished, the products and their designs had to be improved and adapted to the international market needs, designed a Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/comunidad.kem.ajachel), allowing a greater display of products domestically and internationally, and the development of “coexistence tourism” services, allowing foreign clients approach the Mayan culture. Structure production by forming production units (groups of artisans), providing work to about 60 artisans who belonged to seven different indigenous towns, and train and promote leadership values to the groups´ leaders. Constant training to the artisans on business administration, use of money, sales and marketing strategies and basic computing, leaving two women leaders within the cooperative with the necessary skills to manage an international business.

After 4 years in Guatemala, and 4 years in the states I decided to return to Peru. After being in Lima working as an independent consultant in Lima for a printing company, a textile factory and a mining company I decided I needed to go back to the development world. The most fascinating industry during 2011 was mining because of the raise in prices of the metals and all the social conflicts it was generating. For that reason, I ended up in Anglo American Quellaveco as a Local Procurement Coordinator responsible of local procurement and the development of local suppliers. During my three years at Anglo American my major accomplishments are the following. First, be part of a team that developed and implemented a social management for contractors

system that aims to foster the positive impacts of the mining activity and mitigates social risks and controls negative impacts. As a consequence, Anglo American and its contractor have purchased US$40million dollars over three years in Moquegua, an incipient market, which represents 7% of the Anglo´s procurement budget. Another major accomplishment was after two years of ardous work in training, quality control, logistics arrangements Anglo American managed to introduce agricultural producers to our supply chain through our catering supplier at camp by supplying initially 80kg of fruits and vegetables weekly, while expecting this goal to rise. Also I am responsible of the stakeholder management between the mine and the local suppliers. So far the relationship is positive and no protests or mobilizations against Quellaveco have been registered so far due to a local suppliers issue. I have design and lead the execution of three major local supplier development training program budgeted each US$300,000. These programs have trained over 150 local companies since 2012, and helped structure two Chambers of Commerce. In addition, I am currently developing a website that aims to connect local suppliers and major contractors on a virtual level fascilitating commercial transactions among them. I am currently leading the implementation of one of the first business fairs in Moquegua that will incentivized commercial activity in the region. In addition to my role as a local procurement coordinator, I am also one of the Anglo American buyers last year accomplishing a 4% savings as commited and procuring over US$250,000.

Now after completing my fourth year at Anglo American Quellaveco I look forward at completing my educational career with a Master in Public Adminstration in the United States of America. The purpose of studying an MPA in the states is because I feel that as a professional I want to keep pursuing my interest in closing the gap between rich and poor in Latin America and I need a to strengthen my toolkit. Studying an MPA will provide hard skills that I have still need to improve. I look forward to conclude my studies in the states and come back to Peru to lead social change in the country. I have high expectation in leading productive programs that will aim to minimize poverty.

Peru has grown at a surprising rate the past decades. Now the economy is desacelerating and one of the main reasons is because major mining projects are not being executed due to initial social resistance. It is our responsibility as Peruvians, to bring back trust among our citizens by allowing sensitive investment in our country and in that way encouraging economic development again for the betterment of our society. Peru, requires new vision and leadership who is willing to lead our community in a transparent and accountable manner. I want to be part of that group that leads my community, and studying an MPA in the states is going to help me accomplish that goal.