I place top priority on the welfare of women and children, the sustenance of our species and our planetary home. But I am also a man, black, and gay, in that order. As a philosopher of society, I am concerned with oppression, marginalization, injustice, and discrimination against minority groups. These days, I am especially proud to belong to a white society that has chosen a Black man to be its leader. I have more confidence than ever in my leadership skills, both because of my own progressive development and that of my society of origin, America.
I see being black is much more relevant to my career than being gay. Of course, my Blackness is much more obvious. As a pragmatic and a moderate political centrist—which I see as highly desirable for having a successful career as an IR professional—I seek to become a successful diplomat, in the broadest sense, between the historical haves and the have-nots. In other words, quite sensitive of my minority status, I want to put it to good work, taking advantage of the opportunities that present themselves to me, as a black man, to open and walk through doors that are leading us down the path towards becoming more tolerant societies that celebrate rather than repress diversity.
Of humble economic origins, I began working at 15 as a server's assistant at Bonanza and stayed there for 2.5 years. This early taste of the ‘real world’ helped to inspire me with a profound devotion to my studies. I finished my Criminal Justice B.A. with distinction and have mastered not only Spanish but also Catalan. Having long cultivated a passion for social service, I also volunteered as an adolescent at both a nursing home and a hospital for the chronically ill. I currently volunteer as an English Tutor with the Chinese immigrant population of Boston, providing me with invaluable insight into Chinese language and culture. I have also worked as a Case Manager for members of prison populations. I am especially proud to have served as the Coordinator for the University of Delaware’s Study Abroad Program in Granada, and I have acquired additional professional experience serving as a translator for the Disaster Research Center at the U of DE where I was also a Teaching Assistant for two courses and worked for the University as a Tour Guide. Finally, I enjoyed a paid position as a professional researcher for the Criminal Justice Department.
Attaining my Diploma of Superior Studies in Public Law from the XXXX de Barcelona in 2008 helped to further steer me in the direction of IR. I continue to pursue my interests that took shape and were given greater definition in Barcelona: comparative criminal and constitutional law, and the philosophy of law. I am currently studying Mandarin Chinese intensively and I am most keen about continuing to master this challenge. I look forward to doing research on US trade policy towards emerging markets, especially the People´s Republic of China, and conflict management in foreign policy and negotiation.
I hope to serve as a diplomat or as a consultant in either the public or private sectors in US-China Relations. I very much want to study IR at UXXX, quite frankly, because of both the prestige and the excellence of your department and I thank you for considering me as a candidate for your program.
MA International Relations Personal Statement for Public Law
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