To Whom It May Concern:

My name is Drew Landry, and I seek admission to your Masters of Arts program in
Political Science. I obtained a Bachelors of Science in Social Studies Education from
the University of Evansville in 2006 and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political
Science in August from Indiana University.

I am in the midst of a career change in my life. I possess an Indiana Teacher’s

Licenseand taught at a female treatment facility called the Ladoga Academy. The
Academy aimed at rehabbing females ages 10-18 on a variety of fronts. One of
those fronts was education, where I played a pivotal role as educator and mentor.
After being there for roughly a year, I realized that I could take the invaluable
experience I gained from the Academy and apply it to the college level as a
professor. It is now my goal to attain a PhD and become a valuable part of higher
education.

Being a professor is my aspiration. Ever since high school, I have desired to be a

positive influence to future generations, for it is set in me to give what has been
given. With an M.A. from your esteemed program, it will bring me a step closer to
my goal.

The biggest attractionthat drew me to the University of Rhode Island was the small
program. It is intimate learning environments such as yours in which I succeed.
The notion of one-to-one interaction with professors and to learn directly from them
is the best way for me to study. Furthermore, learning from my peers can only be
beneficial. Being in a close-knit group welcomes me to ask questions whenever
possible and being able to do thatenhances my learning. Also, knowing that most
graduates go on to achieve a doctorate degree is very appealing tome. With the
idea of going further with my education, an advanced degree from U.R.I.’s
supportive programcan only assist me.

Once I have a goal set, I do not stop until it is achieved. This was prevalent when I
taught at the Ladoga Academy. The Academy needed the presence of motivated
and caring people because of that,I took an active role when I led an extracurricular
group to give back to the community. The group, called Youth as Resources, aimed
to find a local, not-for-profit organization that needed monetary resources for
projects. The group chose to assist the neighborhood library in purchasing new
books in order to spark interest. We were able to get enough funds for the library to
acquire enough books to help the library’s business. The group’s goal, as well as
my own, was to help the library get new books in order to satisfy its patrons. My
groupdid not stop until we achieved it. The library has a plaque to recall our
cooperative success, and it stands as one of my proudest achievements. This is just
an example of the type of achievements I plan to bring to the Political Science field,
as well as, my future endeavors.
I take Political Science seriously and have a deep passion for it. As one can see
from my transcripts, I excel in the subject. I find the topics interesting, and
comprehending the issues comesrelatively easy for me. Because of my interest and
success in the subject, I want to build upon that foundation so that I may conduct
research, make contributions to the field, and be a positive influence to its future.
The challenges and experiences which this path presents are driving forces in my
continued pursuit of education at your University.

The social activist Henry Ward Beecher once said, “Hold yourself responsible for a
higher standard than anybody expects of you. Never excuse yourself." That quote
has become the watchword of my life. Completing the M.A. will be a challenge, but
one for which I am ready. I will not do unacceptable work, and I look to be the M.A.
student of which your program can be proud.

Thank you for your time, and I look forward working with you in the fall.

Drew Landry