Urban Planning: Community and Economic Development

Stedman Graham , the best selling author , public speaker and entrepreneur said , When you have a sense of your own identity and a vision of where you want to go in your life , you then have the basis for reaching out to the world and going after your dreams for a better life ' I have envisioned a better life for my countrymen who are living below the poverty line in Myanmar and it is my goal to build better homes and communities for them to live in and cherish . I have lived closed to

the slum areas and I want to do something for my countrymen who have suffered from human rights abuses , poverty , high incidence of criminal rate and inadequate infrastructure as a result of poor government mandate , economic mismanagement and corruption . There is a great need to alleviate the living conditions of the people in Myanmar . This is a dream and a passion that I intend to pursue after completing a graduate program in Urban Planning , Community and Economic Development

As an international student who came from a third world country , I am so fortunate to be given the opportunity to study in the United States of America . I am currently on the final year of my Bachelors degree in Architecture . During my course of study , I had a summer internship work experience at a construction company where I was exposed in designing homes , buildings and environment , alterations of existing structures and restoration of old properties . We have worked closely with clients and officials to make sure that their needs , standards and specifications are met . In this task , I have learned about the complex process of designs and construction , the value of following details meeting time right decisions whenever problems arise . With the help and guidance of my superiors and professors , I have prepared and presented design proposals to the clients , negotiated with contractors and suppliers worked with engineers , surveyors and other professionals , carried out defect inspections , and made site visits to check on the progress of the projects to ensure that everything is running within the agreed timescale . I have also mastered the use of Auto Cad , 3D Studio Max and Adobe Photoshop software in designing and project management . The architecture studio classes have enhanced my skills designing . I will be applying what I have learned in my class when I work on an honor project next semester wherein I am going to design a shelter for the homeless using egg cartons and recycled s

My dedication to my studies and my hunger to learn more about community development led me to render my volunteer services to the rural communities . I have worked in increasing sustainable access to safe water in to reduce water born diseases . This was carried out through proper supervision of the construction of rain collectors hand-pumps , water storage ponds and family latrines . This was a very enriching experience for me because I had a chance to talk to people in the community...