A Statement of Purpose
##NOTE: As many of you know, I'm planning on going back to Auburn to work on my PhD. One of the things required for application is a statement of purpose. I thought that you, my loyal readers (crickets - *chirp*chirp*), might enjoy reading it. ##
As a son, nephew, and grandson in a family of teachers, there has been a high value put on education my entire life. Whether it was my mother teaching me to read even before starting kindergarten or my uncle letting me sit in during his college classes as a Jr. High student, I have never thought of education as a goal to be reached. Education is a lifelong process. So, be it in school, at work, or in my personal life, I always strive to learn as much and as often as possible. That is why I seek to validate that process with the highest degree available in my field.
When I graduated from Auburn two and a half years ago, I went back and forth on whether or not to continue my education with graduate school. I eventually decided to look for a job, while keeping open the option of eventually going back to school. That search was not as fruitful as I had hoped, and six months later I found myself back in college at the University of Alabama at Huntsville, enrolled in their Masters Program. I did eventually find a job, and have since dropped down to a part time student. But I will earn my master’s degree this May. While I have enjoyed my experience at UAH and at my job, it has really fostered my desire to become a full time student again, and to really devote my time and effort toward earning a doctoral degree.
At both my job and at school, I have recently become involved in the subject of information assurance. That is why I am very interested in what Dr. Hamilton is doing with the Information Assurance Laboratory. I have done a little bit of work with intrusion detection systems and using them to detect insider threats to a network. I have several interesting ideas in that area which I can hopefully develop into a dissertation.
The real question, then, is why Auburn. I have a good job and a good relationship with my professors at UAH. I could easily continue my education where I am. But anyone who has ever attended or been involved with Auburn knows that it is a special place. There is a sense of community there that I have never felt anywhere else. I had a wonderful experience with my professors as an undergraduate. The truth is that I want to come back to Auburn because I believe in Auburn, and love it.
As a son, nephew, and grandson in a family of teachers, there has been a high value put on education my entire life. Whether it was my mother teaching me to read even before starting kindergarten or my uncle letting me sit in during his college classes as a Jr. High student, I have never thought of education as a goal to be reached. Education is a lifelong process. So, be it in school, at work, or in my personal life, I always strive to learn as much and as often as possible. That is why I seek to validate that process with the highest degree available in my field.
When I graduated from Auburn two and a half years ago, I went back and forth on whether or not to continue my education with graduate school. I eventually decided to look for a job, while keeping open the option of eventually going back to school. That search was not as fruitful as I had hoped, and six months later I found myself back in college at the University of Alabama at Huntsville, enrolled in their Masters Program. I did eventually find a job, and have since dropped down to a part time student. But I will earn my master’s degree this May. While I have enjoyed my experience at UAH and at my job, it has really fostered my desire to become a full time student again, and to really devote my time and effort toward earning a doctoral degree.
At both my job and at school, I have recently become involved in the subject of information assurance. That is why I am very interested in what Dr. Hamilton is doing with the Information Assurance Laboratory. I have done a little bit of work with intrusion detection systems and using them to detect insider threats to a network. I have several interesting ideas in that area which I can hopefully develop into a dissertation.
The real question, then, is why Auburn. I have a good job and a good relationship with my professors at UAH. I could easily continue my education where I am. But anyone who has ever attended or been involved with Auburn knows that it is a special place. There is a sense of community there that I have never felt anywhere else. I had a wonderful experience with my professors as an undergraduate. The truth is that I want to come back to Auburn because I believe in Auburn, and love it.
posted by Unknown at 12/18/2005 06:09:00 PM
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