My name is xxx and I am interested in pursuing a Master's degree in Secondary Education at my alma mater xxx State University. My journey to my decision to return for graduate work has been shaped by five years of life experiences that have revealed my true calling of being an educator. During my final semesters as an undergraduate in xxx, I realized that while I enjoyed the idea of physical or occupational therapy, I did not enjoy the daily monotony of those careers. I found myself essentially surviving each day of my preceptorship rather than relishing my experiences. As my time as undergraduate came rapidly to a close, I began to look for careers that would not only accentuate my service-oriented personality, but also provide me with daily challenges. Upon my May 2011 graduation, I explored entrepreneurship by owning two small businesses in the xxx area. When I relocated to xxx in late 2012 to be with my wife who was beginning medical school, this entrepreneurial spirit provided a transition to several years in the finance industry as a certified financial advisor. With each passing day in finance, I realized that though this job fulfilled my requirements of personality accentuation and daily challenges, it did not bring me the satisfaction I was searching for in a lifelong career.
Recognizing that finance was not the right fit was a startling realization for me. I began to take an introspective look into which career path would bring me joy. I turned to my family to help me with this career-altering decision. Particularly, I sought out my grandfather-a lifelong educator and administrator-for his advice. I have always respected the work he did and the positive impact he had on those around him. Through our conversations about his experiences as an educator, I realized that a career in education could be what I had been searching for since my college graduation. I decided to take a permanent substitute job as a physical education teacher at xxxx , the alternative school for Vicksburg-Warren School District, to see if teaching was the right fit for me.