My Career Goals Scholarship Essay
FOCUS: URBAN PLANNING & PUBLIC POLICY
When I was twelve years old, my family moved three times in a single year. We weren’t chasing
better opportunities; we were running from rising rent prices in our rapidly gentrifying
neighborhood in Austin, Texas. That year of living out of cardboard boxes and switching middle
schools shaped more than just my childhood—it defined my professional trajectory. Today, as a
junior majoring in Urban Public Policy, my career goal is to become an urban planner specializing
in equitable housing development and anti-displacement strategies.
I have always believed that a safe, stable home is the foundation upon which all other success is
built. Yet, in many American cities, the housing market actively works against low-income
families. My objective is to shift this paradigm from the inside out. I intend to work for a
municipal housing authority or a non-profit development firm, drafting zoning policies that
incentivize affordable housing while protecting vulnerable communities from being priced out of
their own neighborhoods.
To prepare for this career, I have tailored my academic experience to understand both the
sociological impacts of housing instability and the bureaucratic mechanics of city planning. Last
summer, I interned with a local tenant advocacy group, where I helped residents navigate the
complexities of eviction notices and rental assistance programs. This experience taught me that
policy cannot just exist on paper; it must be accessible to the people it is meant to protect. It also
cemented my desire to be the person writing those policies.
Achieving these ambitious goals requires a rigorous academic focus, but the financial burden of
my education often divides my attention. I currently work twenty-five hours a week as a shift
supervisor at a local retail store to cover my rent and tuition gap. While this job has taught me
valuable management skills, it limits my ability to take on unpaid internships in local government
—the exact experience I need to be competitive in my field.
