As a child I always enjoyed doing puzzles with my father. He taught me how to develop a strategic “system” when confronted with even the most difficult puzzle, and I loved the idea of breaking down a complicated problem into small surmountable tasks. This appetite for problem solving is what inspired me to pursue engineering in college and later ignited a passion for construction and development. I am applying to the Georgetown MPS in real estate program to continue my pursuit of this passion and incorporate sustainability into development on a large scale. Having started my own company in 2012 with this purpose, after five years in commercial construction management, I have begun this journey but realize the need to further sharpen my business …show more content…
Yet, this is the situation in which I currently find myself. Last fall my wife received an incredible offer to work in France and, after much deliberation, we decided to seize this once in a lifetime opportunity. I just had to figure out how to manage my business from 5,000 miles and a 7 hour time difference away with absolutely zero knowledge of French. Easy, right? It was not easy, but after almost a year of preparation and persistence I have been able to adapt and transition my management responsibilities to work remotely. Living in Paris has been challenging but unbelievable and was a risk worth taking. I have already gained a different mindset, begun to learn a new language and been given a unique opportunity for self-evaluation. Initially set on earning an MBA with my time abroad, I realized that I did not want to take classes that didn’t interest me. While an MBA provides flexibility with a range of subjects, I have a clear objective in real estate development. This awareness led me to explore a Master’s Degree in RE but unfortunately, I was discouraged to find a complete absence of English speaking options in Paris. After further research into alternatives, I was excited to discover Georgetown’s comprehensive online curriculum, offering everything from real estate law to sustainable development. This is how I landed on this program and it …show more content…
The experience has given me a broad perspective and allowed to see different sides of the corporate process. While working as a project engineer on a construction project for the U.S. core of engineers, I was tasked with ensuring our team achieved the LEED silver designation required in the contract. I took this opportunity to showcase my leadership abilities and worked with our staff and subcontractors to make necessary design changes and work through the grueling, bureaucratic application process, going above and beyond what was required. Our team not only satisfied our contract obligation, but we received a LEED gold on the project! This was a higher level certification that my bosses and our owner group were excited about, it is even displayed proudly on the Fort Sam Houston website. This experience motivated me and drove me to the realization that I want to be an entrepreneur and incorporate sustainability into development. Fulfilling this dream would allow me to blend work that I love doing with something I care about deeply. It is the premise on which I started my business and something I hope to do on a much larger scale. Upon graduation I will immediately seek employment with a large commercial real estate firm, internationally if possible, to gain global insight and continue my professional development. I plan on leveraging this aggregate experience to ultimately fulfill