Kaitlin St.

Peter
Professional Goal Statement
University of New England
Master of Science in Education in Educational Leadership
To Whom It May Concern:
I am recent graduate of the University of New England (UNE) with a Bachelor of
Science in Environmental Science. Through my leadership participation, learning
experiences and opportunities in and outside of the classroom I have become
qualified to continue my education in the Master of Science in Education in
Educational Leadership program at UNE.
Shortly after I received my Environmental Science degree from UNE, I hastily
realized that my passions and interests were elsewhere. I organized my thoughts
and found that all of my interests had a common denominator; Education. Within
my undergraduate career I was involved in a multitude of student activities that
have slowly but surely steered me in the direction of an Educational Leadership
graduate program. I began my student leadership career as an Orientation Leader,
as many eager undergraduates do, teaching incoming students about college life
and welcoming them to campus to ensure a smooth transition into a college setting.
During my sophomore year, I began the process of becoming a student mentor
through the College Community Mentoring Program. This program is a trainedvolunteer based program that encourages UNE students to extend their connections
and leadership skills to the Biddeford-Saco Community. The program works with
local schools and the UNE students serve as a mentor to younger students that may
need a bit of extra attention in the classroom due to behavioral issues, disabilities,
or just as another adult figure in their lives. I began my mentorship at Biddeford
Primary School, working with two specific students in a first grade classroom and
then eventually facilitating small reading and writing groups, assisting my teacher
on other focus groups and more. Through the College Community Mentoring
Programs I discovered an appreciation and devotion for working in a classroom
setting with a diverse group of students. Upon acceptance, I intend to continue my
field work at Biddeford Primary School because of the positive experiences I have
had there over the years.
While attaining a mentorship at Biddeford Primary School, I simultaneously acquired
a position as a Resident Advisor. As a Resident Advisor I worked with and taught
students within the residence halls at UNE providing educational programming and
activities while also enforcing policies and creating a safe living environment. These
programs would range from teaching a do-it-yourself hands-on task to brief
presentations on the importance self-care and study habits. I would work with
students that may be struggling to find a balance of time management and stand as
a resource for any students needs during their residential experience. With the
Resident Advisor position I became Safe Space certified. Safe Space is an all-

inclusive diversity certificate that provided me with the resources to expand my

knowledge of cultures and differences. My passion for teaching and sharing ideas
was exposed during my time as a Resident Advisor for two years.
Although UNE has allotted me many experiences and opportunities from a local
scale to a global scale, including community service and studying abroad in Belize,
Morocco, and Panama, my time working in Undergraduate Admissions for UNE has
sparked my interest in further graduate study. I pursued a position at the university
working in Undergraduate Admissions as an Admissions Counselor following my
Commencement in May of 2014. This position allows me to work with current high
school students on a daily basis encouraging them to pursue higher education,
explore their own passions, and discover themselves specifically at UNE.
Transitioning from a student to an administration role has enlightened me on the
multitude of possibilities within not only education as a career but also Higher
Education. I feel that a program within Educational Leadership will guide me to the
specific level of administration work that I would like to specialize in one day.
Advancement in my education will provide me with the tools and resources to
create new career opportunities and will have immediate effects on my current
position and blaze the trails to working in other administration positions.
The structure of the Master of Science in Education in Educational Leadership
program works in sync with my full time job as an Admissions Counselor allowing
me to take my school work with me when I travel during recruitment season, a two
month period when I travel all over the United States to represent UNE at national,
regional and local college fairs and high schools. Although I have not had direct
experience working in a distant learning format, I am fluent in Blackboard Learn, UOnline and Outlook 365. I feel that my attentiveness and fluency with technology as
well as my eagerness to begin the program are keys to a successful graduate
program career.