Thinkaboutthedecisionsyouhavemadethatledtoyourcurrentposition.Past:Whatchoiceshaveyoumadethatledtoyourcurrentpositionpresent:whyisasternmbanecessaryatthispointinyourlife?future:whatisyourdesiredpositionupongraduationfromtheSternschoolIhavealwaysdesiredacareerthatrequiresinnovation,educatedrisk,andforesight.Ilearnedtorespectthesequalitiesfrommyfather,aLebaneseimmigrantwhoworkedforyearstocreatehisownbusiness.Throughhisexample,Ihaveseenfirsthandtheadvantagesandchallengesofself-employment--therewardstobegainedandthetotalcommitmentrequired.Mygoalistocreateabusinessbasedonmyownideasandefforts,andhavemadedecisionsaimedatbringingthisdreamintofruition.Aftergraduatingfromcollege,IacceptedapositionasthemanagerofanestablishedGermanrestaurantinSanFrancisco.Ihadbeentheeveningmanagertherefornearlytwoyearswhileattendingcollege,andknewthattherestaurantwasstruggling.Forseveralyears,highoverheadcostsandpoormarketinghadbroughtrevenuetoaminimum.Isawthepositionasanintriguingchallenge;IknewIcoulddramaticallyincreasetherestaurant’sprofitability.ImmediatelyafteracceptingthepositioninJulyof1995,Iaddressedthemostsignificantproblem:highoverheadfromoverstaffing,foodwaste,andunnecessarypurchasesofsupplies.Iloweredeachoftheseexpenseswhilemaintainingtherestaurant’squalityandefficiency.Mynexttargetwasmarketing.Inexpensiveadvertisementinlocalnewspapers,attractivesignage,andInternetpostingsbroughtinmanynewcustomers.Inthemeantime,Itookcontroloftheaccounting,eliminatingtheneedforindependenthelp.Theincreasedrevenueanddecreasedspendinghadanimmediateeffect.Attheendof1996,therestaurantreportedaprofitforthefirsttimeinsixyears.Iremainedwiththebusinessuntilitwassoldin1997,monitoringthesechangesinordertoprovidelastingimprovement.Althoughthepositionmademerealizethattherestaurantbusinessdidnotappealtome,thosetwoyearsreaffirmedmydesiretooperatemyownbusiness.Ihadnotabandonedmyeducationduringthattime;whileworkingattherestaurant,IhadtakenrealestatecoursesintheeveningandpassedtheCaliforniaStateBrokerexamin1996.MybrotherandIlaunchedourownpropertymanagementcompanyinAprilof1996,anditquicklygrew.Wecurrentlyhavesevencommercialpropertiesundermanagement.Ourresponsibilitiesincludeleasing,accounting,andpropertymaintenance.In1997,Ibeganworkingasabrokerwithacommercialrealestatecompany,largelytogaintheknowledgeofretailtoimprovetheleasingandsalesdivisionofmycompany.IamcurrentlyemployedinasalespositionwithaprivatebusinessbankinSanFrancisco.Iwashiredtobringbusinessintothebank,whichrarelyadvertises,preferringtoattractbusinessprimarilyfromreferrals.Myresponsibilitiesincludeinteractingwithpotentialclients,sellingloansanddeposits,andaccountmaintenance.Thisjobhasgivenmebetterunderstandingofsalesandfinance,whichiscrucialtothesuccessofanybusiness.Althoughmyultimategoalistogrowourpropertymanagementcompanyintoafulltimebusiness,thesepositionsinotherindustrieshavebeeninvaluablelearningaids.Propertymanagementrequiresanextensiveknowledgeofrealestate,banking,accountingandsales.InowfeelconfidentthatIhavegainedvaluableexperiencewithmywork.However,IknowthatearningagraduatedegreewillfurtherenhancetheskillsIneedtodevelopaviablecompany.TheLeonardN.SternSchoolofBusinessatNewYorkUniversitywillallowmetolearnfromthefinestteachers,interactwiththebrighteststudents,andexperienceoneofthetopgraduateprogramsintheUnitedStates.IcanonlyanticipatetheinvaluableknowledgeandtrainingIwillgainfrombeingapartofthisprogram.Althoughmyworkexperiencehasbeenextremelyimportant,theNYUSternSchoolofBusinesswillbeequallyaseducational.Itwillallowmetoincorporatemyexperienceswithotherequallyambitiousstudents,andtobroadenmygoals,ideasandperspectives.AgraduatedegreeinManagementandOrganizationalBehaviorisasignificantassettoanybusinessowner.Thefirstyearcurriculumofaccounting,management,finance,marketing,andeconomicswillenhancemyknowledgeofthebasicfoundationsofbusinessandmanagement.Duringmysecondsemester,IwillenrollinthetrackcoursesofEntrepreneurialStudies.Theseclasseswillteachmeadvancedbusinesstechniquesandtheirsuccessfulimplementation.Inaddition,Stern-sponsored,non-academicentrepreneurialorganizationswillbebotheducationalandenjoyable.Iviewtheseasanopportunitytomeetstudentswhosharesimilargoals.Theywillexpandmyawarenessofnewbusinessconceptswithinourquicklyevolvingeconomy--whichIhopetoincorporateintomyowncompany.TheexperiencesavailableatNYUaremyriad,andadegreefromtheSternSchoolwillpropelmetowardtherealizationofmyprofessionalgoals.