Application Essay

Nicholas Salvatoriello 5/1/2009 Application Essay Thank you for the opportunity to explain why I would like to attend classes at the Hector School of Engineering and Management. A review of my background will show how I have developed that interest. I was born and raised in Hanover, a small college town in New Hampshire. Growing up next to Dartmouth College inspired me to take education and the life of the mind seriously. I've owned and run my own DJ business since high school and became active in the businesses of music and media from an early age. This creative and entrepreneurial upbringing I feel prepared me early in life for the topics we wish to cover while at the Hector School. I graduated from Union College in 2007 and was very active student government while at Union. I seek leadership roles whenever possible and was Vice President of my class as well as the Music Director for the college radio station. While I was at Union, I met exchange students from Union's relationship with the University of Karlsruhe. I was impressed with the enthusiasm with which they described your institution and the dynamic German companies that sourced their management talent from your graduates. I am now currently in the MBA program at Union Graduate College with a concentration in international business. Not content to stay inside the classroom, I traveled to South Africa in 2006 in a small team of MBA students that included Armin Harbrecht, a University of Karlsruhe exchange student. We became good friends through our African research trip and have stayed in touch as we both continued to travel and pursue entrepreneurial ventures. This past December, I participated in the Graduate College's inaugural Study Tour of Shanghai, China in December 2008. Not only did I enjoy the trip, but I also arranged with the Dean to commercially produce a promotional video of footage I shot from the trip for the College's website. Traveling for academic research hasn’t just been an interest during my graduate experience, it has actually become a passion of mine. My professional work background since graduation has consisted of two years working on fundraising for the Union College annual fund in the Dept.

of College Relations. Being in charge of the young alumni campaign, I managed a team of 100 volunteers working with over 5,000 alumni. I had the opportunity to regularly host meetings and events in Boston, New York City and Washington, DC. Throughout my time there, I learned a great deal about different businesses and non-profits while networking with Union alumni from all walks of life and various industries. My 18 months of service to my Alma Mater taught me how important communicating a vision and building affinity can be in one's communication skill set. The Hector School's course topics in innovation management greatly appealed to me in this regard. Currently, I do marketing research and multimedia work for a Mediumsized Technology Firm out on Wolf Road called Garnet River LLC (HYPERLINK "http://www.garnetriver.com/"www.garnetriver.com). They provide enterprise-level technology solutions for departments of New York State government as well as healthcare organizations and higher education institutions. I have thrived in this entrepreneurial environment and have been given a great deal of freedom and flexibility to pursue new marketing channels and corporate communications solutions. However, there is a larger goal I must pursue in my career: to learn the skills necessary to manage the innovative enterprise. To help in this mission, I too must be globally focused. It is also for this reason I am focusing geographically on the technologically advanced and globally influential country of Germany. Throughout my life, I have increasingly considered myself to be a global citizen. Although I was born and raised in New England, I have always taken advantage of opportunities to explore other countries and take in their unique cultures and perspectives. It is with this in mind that I am pleased to apply for admission into the executive MBA program at the Hector School of Engineering and Management.

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