“There is no greater disability in society than the inability to see a person as something more” –Robert M. HenselToday, due to unawareness, the population with developmental disabilities continues to being confronted with barriers in society by being classified and seen as “not normal”. A resulting effect of this cause is the disproportionate number of adults with developmental disabilities who are unemployed. After graduating in the spring of 2008 with a degree in Human Services. I had to face the difficulties of finding work in my field of study. It's difficult to graduate and not have job security; it's a scary and anxious experience. But I persevered; I volunteered to gain experience and continued to look for work in social services. Nearly nine months after graduating, I started working at a small nonprofit called Job Path. I started at Job Path in a part-time entry-level position as a community support worker for people with developmental disabilities. The position consisted of working one-on-one with adults with developmental disabilities (participants). I was responsible for bringing participants into their community to participate in entertainment activities and volunteer work of interest to them. Additionally, I would train the participant to travel, help them overcome barriers, and simply be a friend and confidant. The first participant I worked with was a young Chinese-American woman named Yang. When I first met Yang she was a little quiet and shy. Although Yang was in her thirties, her mental age was that of an eight-year-old. I provided support to Yang twice a week. I would meet her at her apartment and we would plan the activities she wanted to do for the day. As I continued… halfway down the paper… of a leadership or management role within the non-profit sector. For this reason I am applying for the Master of Public Administration at Baruch College. I am excited to continue my academic career at Baruch. But I'm especially excited to work with educators like Peter Hall, Stan Altman, James Krauskopt, and Michael Seltzer. Their knowledge and experience in the nonprofit sector will prepare me to further my career. Additionally, I am truly inspired by Baruch College's mission statement. There's a quote that says, "The College's graduate programs focus on professional preparation that enables students to become leaders and innovators in their fields." This phrase defines my reason for pursuing my MPA and my career goal in the nonprofit sector. Because of this, I know that Baruch College is the place where I will be able to achieve this goal.