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My experience, background, and passion for the field of communication make me a

 perfect fit for The University of California – San Diego.

The ultimate question lingering in my mind is, “why is this significant?” This question

was constantly repeated during my sophomore year by my cross-cultural communication

 professor. I would later learn that this statement carried implications reaching far beyondthe bounds of the classroom. After working in marketing for seven months, I was

 boredlost interest because I could not find significance in my woWhen I look ed  back to

the times I was happiest, when my life held the most meaning, it was when I wasteaching, studying and conducting research for my communication classes at Indiana

University.

I want to pursue a career that allows me to capitalize on my love of teaching andresearch. Ever since high school, I have taught a wide array of skills and subjects in a

multitude of settings. My experience as a camp counselor laid the groundwork for 

leading a large group in structured activities. I successfully transitioned my counseling

leadership role the leadership role I held as a counselor to an academic setting at IndianaUniversity. While teaching a freshmen interest group at Indiana University, I gained

experience constructing and implementing lesson plans, creating take-home assignments,and building classroom solidarity.

 Next, I was offered a tutoring position because I was one of the top students in a

communication class. Next,My my two year tenure as the communication tutor reinforced mydemonstrates a proclivity interest towards both teaching and the subject of 

communication. I was initially offered the tutoring position because I was one of the top

students in CMCL-C122 (omit the course number?), a Communication class. After ayear of successfully helping others succeed in one class in the same way I had, I was

offered given the opportunity to tutor for its companionanother class,. After graduation, Iha’ve continued to teach ing different capacities in the communication field after graduation because it gives me a sense of  fulfillment.. When my students improve, The

feeling of satisfaction I receive great satisfactionwhen my students improve is invaluable.

As a communication and culture major at Indiana, I was fortunate to have been able to

accumulate some research experience. As a student in Interpersonal Communication,

mFirst, I conducted a series of ethnographies that examined the construction of gender in

informal gatherings. Next, I looked at the variation between the “ends” of communication at a poker game occurring within an informal setting versus a formal one

(a, structured tournament). Finally, I carried out a critical analysis of book store culture1.

After making meticulous observations, I concluded that large chain bookstores create a particular type of consumer. In doing this, chain bookstores unite American culture. My

grade point average increased rose each year because I found communication

courseworkstudies engaging and intriguing. TheMy final 3.7 GPA in Communication, Ifinished with along with and recommendations from faculty, led to an award during my

senior year: the Macdowell Gilliam Communication and Culture Scholarship.

1 I submitted this analysis as my writing sample.

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I have the drive to succeed as an academic. I feel my research, contemplation, and

articulation of an issue can help society understand itself. Discovering the larger picture

to my research made countless hours of erudite research and composition worthwhile. . Ihave the drive to succeed as an academic because my research, contemplation, and

articulation of an issue can help society understand itself. When people within a culture

 become aware of whathe motivation behind their actions, perhaps their heightenedconsciousness will produce a sense of higher purpose. The benefit I receive from

research is identical to that of teaching: both give me a sense of contentment. I open up

doors concealing limitless possibilities to my students in the same way I plan onrevealing fresh ideaoptions to society as a communication researcher. I, like many of the

scholars at San Diego, am driven by a desire for social change.

The graduate CCommunication program at the University of California – San Diego isthe ideal place for me to develop as a university professor.

One of the reasons I am drawn to be a Ccommunication student at UCSD is because it

has many strengths that align with my own intellectual passions.] First, I am fascinatedwith cultural analysis. This interest has grown from engaging in the Ccommunication

curriculum at Indiana. Their program is aptly titled, “Communication and Culture”, because Cculture is intertwined with Ccommunication. In fact, everymy research

 projects I mentioned earlier were a form of cultural analysis. I strove to understand the

role culture plays on common practices and environments.

I have a diverse background in communication research, and could potentially study a

multitude of topics. For instance, I am also well qualified to pursue questions in

 performance studies. However, my strongest interests are highlighted. I am content tospecialize on new media, new technology, built environments and spaces. In addition, I

could also encompass cultural studies or at least integrate culture with my work.

 Next, I want to attend San Diego’s CCommunication program because of its strong

emphasis on media and technology. My passion with new media and technology has

developed over the course of my work in new media marketing. Countless hours of applying this technology have raised questions in my mind. How is the line between

 business and pleasure becoming crossed with new media? Does the purpose of using

new media vary across cultures? What are the implications of new media’s

amalgamation of work and social life?

Barry Brown would be the perfect person to help me answer these queries because he

examines new media and technology in relation to leisure. In fact, he recentlycontributed to a project that dovetails with this line of thought; he studied the way

microblogging transformed from a status sharing tool to a vehicle for building social

relationships. I fervently identify with this project because it indicatesreflects aa trendthat I have noticed fromwhile working with Twitter, the world’s most popular 

microblogging platform.

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 Next, CCommunication at UCSD can be distinguished by its concentration on built

environments, spaces, and artifacts. There isare many researchers in the department

thatwho have done research in this niche. After examining the built environment of Barnes and Noble, I became fascinated with this topic. after examining the built

environment of Barnes and Noble (as mentioned earlier). How do spaces help

individuals differentiate between the multiple roles they perform? How are environmentsfashioned to reflect culture? How do environments influence actions?

Chandra Mukerji, the researcher with the most extensive experience in this field, would be the ideal professor to help me answer these types of inquiries. There is actually a

question that both Professor Brown and Professor Mukerji could help me pursue: what is

the impact of integrating new media and technology into our environment and what are

its implications?

UCSD is also a perfect fit for me because many of its professors incorporate a cultural

approach into their work, even those who do not explicitly focus on cultural studies. For 

instance, Barry Brown recently helped lead a workshop in Mexico to teach residents andresearchers how new technology is impacting their life. Brian Goldfarb is another 

example. When I observed his class, we discussed the ways in which key aspects of our culture can be visually represented with concordance software. Even the professors who

study an ostensibly unrelated topic, like technology or media, do so within a cultural

context.

Finally, I am interested in applying the research methodology emphasized at UCSD.

With the notable exception of Professor Hallin, the majority of the department

concentrates on qualitative methodology, like ethnographic, interpretive, and comparativemethods. As indicated by my research, I have the most experience with culturally

centered ethnographies. I have always been attracted to ethnographical research because

its techniques, like participant observation, bring my research to life and give itrelevance. I am able to truly comprehend the nuances of a topic when I experience it

firsthand. As I mentioned earlierMy experiences inspire me to I create positive, social

change. Therefore, I woul’d like to transcend the conventional ethnographic approach Ideveloped at Indiana, and branch out to a more critical one at San Diego. Instead of 

simply describing culture, I want to change it.

After drawing a conclusion and explicating explaining its significance, I willant tosuggest how the situation can be ameliorated. TheseMy suggestions will develop by

comparing similar phenomenon. For instance, I could do a comparative analysis of two

groups. One group that is exceptionally successful, proficient, or productive, versusanother group that is not. How does the successful group’s use of technology and

environment contribute to its success? Next, how is the use of technology and space

contributing to the other group’s failure? Finally, what technology does the lesssuccessful group need to employ and how can they reconstruct their space to attain the

same level of accomplishment? If the scope became too large, I could always focus on

either technology or the environment. instead of both.

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