Statement of Purpose

Before graduating from SUNY Cortland, I knew I wanted an opportunity to study

Political Science with greater depth than my undergraduate study coursework provided I
discovered the field of Political Science around the end of my sophomore year !ith a dual
ma"or, I often had to #alance one course over another in order to complete the re$uirements
necessary for #oth my Communications ma"or and my Political Science ma"or I was interested
in Political Science over Communications as a career, #ut I en"oyed how they complimented each
other %ll of my career goals were directed at e&panding my e&perience towards a political
career
%fter studying a#road in 'ngland, I found myself in the last semester of my senior year
with little time left I knew that I wanted to continue on to graduate school, and applied to (C
area schools I was accepted and planned to study at )ld (ominion University, *irginia for the
fall of +,,, -he e&perience of study a#road opened my eyes to different people with different
political ideas I felt as though I had grown a new skin and I wanted the chance to gain a sharper
focus on my career I made the decision to put graduate school on hold temporarily to gain
professional e&perience .y primary goal #ecame graduate school and a full time career in the
federal politics of !ashington I felt as though I hadn/t had enough information on where and
what I wanted from a government career, therefore I worked a year in 0alama1oo, .ichigan %
year in 0alama1oo allowed me to gain the professional confidence that I needed to lay out my
goals
.y goals are #oth short and long term %ll of my short2term goals are stepping2stones to
my long2term goals -he short2term goals are simple, I wanted to move to !ashington and I
moved here in 3uly of 4555 I have en"oyed a second time "o# part2time, to prepare financially
for graduate school I am volunteering with an organi1ation called (C cares, to really get
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Jessica Byrnes
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involved in change, on a one on one level, with the elderly, the sick, and children I have four
principle goals that I #elieve a masters in pu#lic administration will incite I have esta#lished a
solid eighteen months of professional e&perience -hese e&periences are complimentary to my
future in that they have taught me different professional styles and atmospheres6 academics
versus deadline driven, and detail versus people oriented professions
(aily, my short2term goal is to view every day as a education from (e#orah 7ischione,
the (irector of Policy and my #oss, at the North %merican Securities %dministrators %ssociation,
Inc 8N%S%%9
+
!hile I have more to learn from (e#orah, I want to pursue the invalua#le
e&perience of Capitol :ill Currently, I am a mem#er of the !ashington %rea State ;elations
<roup 8!%S;<9
4
I have #een a#le to meet many others in government affairs .any have #een
impressed on me what an e&perience on Capitol :ill creates !%S;< has #een an e&cellent
environment to share and listen among others who are in the field of government affairs
.y primary goal, #oth long and short term, is to en"oy a masters education in Pu#lic
%dministration I e&pect and have found from recommendations and research that the %merican
University .asters in Pu#lic %dministration will help me in achieving my goals .y commitment
and a#ility to the %merican University <raduate Program, .asters in Pu#lic %dministration, is
#ased on my sole interest a $uality education system, with a primary interest in pursuing change
through government through an ethical standard, with the #enefits of location and access to those
who are creating and changing government today
!hile I have an e&treme interest in working for the pu#lic good through Congress, my
long2term goal is to #ecome a successful (irector for <overnment %ffairs in the private sector,
for a lo##yist organi1ation I haven/t decided whether or not I am fully pursuing a grassroots
+
-he oldest international organi1ation devoted to investor protection, N%S%% was organi1ed in +,+, Its
mem#ership consists of the securities administrators in the =5 states, the (istrict of Colum#ia, Canada,
.e&ico and Puerto ;ico N%S%% is the voice of securities agencies responsi#le for investor protection and
efficient capital formation
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!%S;<, !ashington %rea State ;elations <roup, P ) Bo&, %rlington, *% 4445+ http6>>wwwwasrgcom
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Jessica Byrnes
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organi1ation or a politically centered organi1ation with a fi&ed mem#ership similar to N%S%% I
have found that the goals I/ve set for myself have come from the e&periences and the people I
meet who e&pose new opportunities and ideas I hope to get a #etter perspective for grassroots
lo##ying through a fellowship or internship to determine this e&citing new goal
PROFSS!O"#$ %PR!"&
%fter graduation I moved out of my home state of New York, to .ichigan to e&plore new
opportunities I started out as an 'lections Specialist for a printing company called (ou#leday
Bros ? Co %s a Specialist, I speciali1ed in the ma"or voting methods used #y voters in %merica
I was unaware how significant my knowledge of the punch card or @#utterflyA #allot would
#ecome until the 4555 presidential election I en"oyed complying with the election laws the most
as an 'lections Specialist 'lection laws vary #y state, and I was re$uired to research those laws
for the different states we printed #allots for -hese laws included rotating names on #allots,
avoiding identifiers such as #old or italics, or the use of nicknames on a #allot, etc all of which
were intended to avoid a #iased or @leaningA #allot
%fter (ou#leday Bros I looked for a "o# that was more intellectually challenging,
com#ined with a people oriented approach I found these $ualities at .anpower Staffing %gency
%ware this "o# wasn/t within the field of political science, I actually found it to #e more #eneficial
to my future than (ou#leday Bros .aintaining a customer list of more than thirty, #uilding my
professional confidence through sales, and success through self2motivation was the formula that
#uilt me as the professional I am today
Being the politician I am, this "o# didn/t "ust offer insight on interviewing and sales
techni$ues -his specific .anpower office was located in a less advantaged city in .ichigan,
called %llegan -his position peaked my interest for la#or issues I interviewed and staffed real
people with pro#lems concerning unemployment, healthcare, workers compensation, pro versus
anti2union #eliefs, life on minimum wage, and the value of a <'( or high school diploma
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Jessica Byrnes
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I now gain from my "o# as a <overnment %ffairs %ssistant at N%S%% I chose this
position #ecause I wanted to #e close to issues in Congress, I was curious a#out financial
services, of which I haven/t had much previous e&posure, and I en"oyed the academic and
research approach to this position I find that I look #ack at the other professional styles as
Staffing specialist at .anpower, and 'lections Specialist at (ou#leday Bros I am #lessed to
know that I/ve found a setting that I en"oy daily and want to pursue into the future with N%S%%
%s a <overnment %ffairs assistant, I regularly follow the actions of Congress as well as
the actions of the fifty state legislatures, as they relate to financial securities legislation I have
compiled and researched summaries of the +5B
th
Congress, state privacy legislation, as well as
P%C contri#utions to election candidates, etc I have had the #enefit of aiding the director of
Policy in compiling information for Congressional testimony and I/ve attended many Senate and
:ouse Committee hearings !hile I know I am not interested in making a career in financial
services policy, I like the N%S%% approach against consumer protection from fraud
I plan to com#ine my interests in la#or, consumer protection, and health care and apply to
a position at the Senate Committee for :ealth, Ca#or and Pensions %lso, I have taken a special
interest in the social aspects of policy and would like to apply that to my .asters in Pu#lic
%dministration I took courses at SUNY Cortland regarding social issues such as gender and
health policy I found that I en"oyed these the most and I chose %merican University/s School of
Pu#lic %ffairs for the layout of their Pu#lic %dministration curriculum
%s mentioned a#ove, I/m looking to do further research in the field of Political Science I
am looking for a program that applies #oth political management, lo##ying efforts and strategies,
fundraising, and most importantly policy analysis I prefer an education in political management
as it approaches ethics and method in government I have assisted lo##ying efforts at N%S%%
#ut I have not #een a#le to apply direct hands on lo##ying e&perience I e&pect to learn these
skills at %merican University I find policy analysis to #e the fundamental skill needed in
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Jessica Byrnes
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government relations as this is necessary in applying lo##ying efforts, educating constituents or
mem#ers, and comprehending the intentions of law makers
In closing, I would invite you to N%S%%/s Spring Conference at the #eginning of .ay
Cocated on Capitol :ill, many of N%S%%/s mem#er/s made up of State Securities
%dministrators, mem#ers of the 7inancial Services Industry, as well as Congressional and 7ederal
<overnment Staff who create and monitor financial securities laws and legislation, will #e
attending this conference to de#ate and discuss issues that will face the +5D
th
Congress Issues
such as the <ramm2Ceach2Bliley %ctE financial privacyE functional regulation among insurance,
#anking and securities regulatorsE state level compliance with 'lectronic Signatures legislation,
etc )n this level, you will #e a#le to really see what an opportunity I am receiving at N%S%%
with governmental affairs Please feel free to access the N%S%% we#site, wwwnasaaorg
Unfortunately, the ma"ority of my research is tucked away in our mem#ers/ only section of our
we#site, #ut you/ll #e a#le to see N%S%%/s strong commitment to their mem#ership, state
securities administrators>regulators Castly, I would like to schedule an interview to demonstrate
an in person discussion on my goals and e&press my e&citement for graduate study
096-72-2783
Jessica Byrnes
(