By pursuing my passion for Japanese culture and advancing my career from information technology to project management, I have reached a point where I am positioned to offer a unique strategic vision in the market Japanese. With its strong core curriculum, acclaimed faculty, and diverse student body, Merage is the perfect place to achieve my goal of leading the corporate strategy department of a Japanese consumer products company. Growing up as a fourth generation Japanese American, I had little exposure to anything authentically Japanese. My lack of understanding of my family's origin was the driving force for seeking work in Japan. Although I only intended to live there for a year, I fell in love with the country and saw an opportunity to build a life in Japan. My first two years in the country with Japan's exchange and teaching program were spent designing the communications curriculum for a high school's English department. During that time I taught myself Japanese to overcome any communication barriers that might prevent me from moving to a Japanese information technology (IT) company. After gaining a solid grasp of the language, I moved to Tokyo. I first joined Aster Corporation as an enterprise application developer, then Axis Consulting where there were better opportunities to expand my responsibilities and skills. At Axis I was able to use the experience gained on my first two projects to fill the position of project manager. For three years I worked with all levels of management at client companies in various industries. These first-hand experiences have given me an understanding of the thought processes that drive Japanese corporate culture. More importantly, the experience inspired my career vision: turning a J... half a paper... smaller class sizes, I won't just be a number like at many other schools, but will instead be given more personal attention in terms of career guidance and in exploring the depths of the MBA curriculum. And as reiterated by Alumni, these factors combine to create a situation where I can fully immerse myself in a truly exceptional educational experience. Finally, every alumnus I spoke with confirmed the high caliber of students Merage accepts into its program: people sincerely committed to building productive relationships. Student enthusiasm, exposure to cutting-edge research, an acclaimed faculty, and the potential for continuous improvement through course testing represent an opportunity to develop a valuable lifelong resource. With my diverse background and experiences, I hope to have the privilege of being a productive member of the Merage community.