Submit a statement outlining how you have improved your candidacy since the last application.

Shortly after applying to Haas, I was promoted to Director of Domestic and International Financial Operations, receiving a 30% salary increase. In addition to managing all our domestic financial operations, I am now also managing the Costa Rica office I was instrumental in establishing.

Further, [ABC] purchased a competitor, Nurses in Partnership, resulting in a 50% increase in employees, clients, and revenue. My international and domestic team looked to me for direction and I kept them motivated by remaining positive, and involving them frequently in decision-making as we integrated the two sets of financials. I also took the initiative to analyze operations within both companies, recommending potential synergies and efficiencies. Especially challenging was modifying [ABC]’s internal financial processes – I had painstakingly developed these just six months prior to the acquisition. I reworked them once again to create an integrated process. I realized innovation is essential to remaining successful in today’s dynamic business environment, and orchestrating each evolution is an invaluable learning opportunity. Through this process, I honed my influencing skills, addressing my teams concerns about the revised process. I worked diligently to develop and present a compelling report on the advantages of the new process as well as potential risks and mitigating factors. I also worked with HR to develop training opportunities. Because I was perseverant, I won my team’s support. Given our additional workload, I developed a resource-plan and hired additional managers. It was interesting being on the hiring side, because I was forced to project our needs out a few years, and identify candidates who would “fit” from a professional as well as cultural perspective.

Outside of work, I was promoted to Senior Advisor at “Foundation for Women”, a non-profit microfinance organization. In this leadership role I help clients crystallize their ideas, build compelling business plans, and launch their businesses. Since last year, I have successfully launched seven businesses. Each has challenged me to adapt the knowledge, skills and connections I have accumulated throughout my career to provide a high level of support and expertise. I now have a more concrete understanding of the intricacies of microfinance, and a personal connection to the industry’s impact. I have seen the transformation that occurs in the lives of women who receive the loans and it is because of this that I am more committed than ever to obtaining my MBA at Haas and leveraging its academic and extracurricular resources to succeed in a career in microfinance.

I am also especially proud of expanding the reach my own non-profit Living Your Best Life (LYBL), a support group for individuals with eating disorders. Since 2010, we have grown from one outpatient treatment center to four, with potential for more. I have proactively researched industry trends and worked with my team to develop new advice and programs for our clients. I have also networked extensively to recruit new professionals who are able to offer pro-bono services, and worked with more clinics to convince them of the value LYBL can provide.