Personal Statement

I do not want to live a life of complacency. To avoid this, I plan to pursue a career filled with ample opportunities for knowledge expansion. My short-term goal is to work for an innovative company which fosters an environment of constant learning. An example of this type of company is Toyota Motor Corporation. The Toyota Way stresses kaizen, or continuous improvement, which pushes Toyota employees, from CEO to individual line worker, to constantly reevaluate current processes in order to reduce waste and shorten overall time requirements. Numerous Toyota employees I have spoken with have told me that this requires one to constantly keep up with industry news and new innovations to find areas for improvement within the organization.

I love to solve problems and work well under stress. In the long-term my goal is to utilize these two qualities to do supply chain management-related consulting work in either the retail or manufacturing sectors in the area of crisis management. A graduate degree and a career in a related field will serve as two stepping stones toward achieving this goal. A substantial amount of industry specific knowledge will be required to do this type of work. I can achieve this level of knowledge through a combination of continued education and work experience.

For my senior capstone project, I am working in a five person group to create a comprehensive business strategy for the new arena being constructed in the downtown Evansville, IN area. Upon completion of this project, we will be presenting it to both those in charge of designing and those in charge of operating the arena. In a year-long entrepreneurship class, I was able to work with a small group to research and create a comprehensive business plan f...

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...rs and competitive environment. The requirement to participate in some professional development seminars is one thing, but the option to participate in more than the requirement shows that the Walton MBA program is focused on developing the most well-rounded business professionals possible. Having come from a liberal arts undergraduate program this focus on well-roundedness is very important to me. This school also appears to be heavily focused on maintaining a competitive environment not only among individuals but within teams. The numerous competitions which teams have the opportunity to participate in should provide quite an advantage in the corporate world. Above all, the University of Arkansas provides an MBA program which is highly regarded in the business community and which would continue to provide an edge in an increasingly competitive business environment.