I am fortunate in the position to say that my career, for the most part, has allowed me to invest my time in places that interest me and that have had a beneficial impact on underserved and underserved populations . low-income communities. Through my work I have been able to respond to society's needs in healthcare and, my passion, community development. At the same time, I realize that to have the greatest impact in the field of community development requires me to further my formal education, deepen my political skills, develop my leadership skills, improve my management skills, and learn from industry leader. My Career My path was greatly influenced by my early life experiences and began with my parents, immigrants from the Dominican Republic, who through example and lesson instilled a deep sense of justice and fairness and a commitment to the community. They were always the ones to speak up when they or others experienced injustice, and they eagerly taught my brother and me the importance of active civic participation. I have also seen and experienced what happens when public dollars are not invested carefully due to poor policy decisions. The public housing I lived in began as a new opportunity for all the families who moved in before the rapid disappearance of community services and all forms of maintenance were replaced by arson, gun violence, drugs and gang activity. Our community has been abandoned, under-resourced and blamed for a situation created by failed public policy and simple government apathy. The influence of my youth led me to start a career in community health in Boston and eventually move to New York, where I eventually landed at Citi, in the company's community development department... halfway there. .. ...r community development funding. The diversity of course offerings, real-world application opportunities, and strong faculty are of great interest to me. I find that the program will allow me to contribute to the national discourse in a meaningful and thoughtful way that advances the field. The program also offers critical management and leadership skills that will help position me to successfully take on the more impactful leadership roles I am interested in, such as leading a foundation, serving in senior-level government, or managing a development organization of the national community. For these reasons, I believe the New School for Public Engagement is the best-suited institution to advance my goals of serving low-income communities with the greatest expertise and knowledge possible, while drawing on a vast network of dedicated professionals and similar..