Decision to Pursue My Mba - Personal Essay

The decision to pursue an MBA was not because of aspiration to be in management or even because it aligned with the managerial attributes of the company. My reasoning is selfish and quite frankly maybe even out of fear of declining brain health. Don't misunderstand me; my strategic objective is to equip myself with a broader degree of skill sets that will enable me to more effectively transition from one position to another in this fast paced ever changing society, because I want to remain relevant and current but more importantly I also want to slow down the reality of the aging process.

In 2006, I completed my bachelor's degree in business administration, this was a great accomplishment and now coupled with my 28 years of work experience in the aerospace industry my professional career has been validated by a supporting document. Upon completion, my future looked brighter, my self-confidence was boosted, the company rewarded the accomplishment with stock options and my peers now had a newfound respect for me. It quickly became apparent that the emphasis was on higher education although it was an unspoken favorable criterion for advancement but was not a perquisite for advancement in the earlier years. Nevertheless, the perspective of the ability to continue to influence and improving the quality of the management dynamics at my place of employment is one of the reasons for my pursuit of a MBA.

One might think that the only caveat to having an MBA is for consideration of a director level position or something higher within the corporate sector. Statical data supports evidence that last year, 43% of students enrolled in executive MBA programs received promotions and studies have also show that people who remain intellectually active reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease by one third (Caroline Latham, 2007). Learning is neuroprotective and by continuing ones education the process of building cognitive reserve continues and increasing the production of nerve growth to help maintain a sharp mind (Caroline Latham, 2007). Perhaps you are asking yourself why an MBA when simple brainteasers will produce the same results. After losing my grandmother to the debilitating disease of Alzheimer's, I wanted to not only challenge myself but I wanted to achieve a milestone goal that I had only heard other people talk about. To obtain an advanced degree would be a tremendous boost to my self-confidence, health and career. Of course not everyone will understand my unconventional reasoning but it is the right choice for me.

Time is of the importance to me, so I have chosen to be an on-line student. It is anticipate that 12-20 hours a week will be devoted to classes over the next 3 years. Due to the financial constraints mandated by the employer, it will take more time to complete the MBA program than the estimated two years. On-line classes still provides the best flexibility to approach my studies at anytime