Washington/Fairfax Bridal Showcase 2008
April 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment
PATRIOT CENTER, FAIRFAX VA - APRIL 27, 2008: The Washington Bridal Showcase 2008 took place at the Patriot Center, George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. There was a huge liquidation sale of designer bridal gowns, including gowns from HENRY ROTH, JANELL BERTE, ALFRED SUNG, 2BE, SINCERITY, CASABLANCA, JASMINE and many more … bridesmaids, flower girl, mother-of-the-bride and formal dresses too! Many exhibitors offered demonstrations, samples and money-saving show specials.
To learn more about the event and upcoming Bridal Showcases in the DC Metro area please visit http://bridalshowcase.com . Our renowned fashion photographer, Tony Awoga was at the event and we are proud to bring you pictures from the Fashion Show and Bridal Gown Modelling.
Sample Wharton Essay 2 - Long & Short Term Goal
April 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment
PS: Essay was originally written in 2005 but posted in 2008. It has been viewed more than 25,000 times. Thanks for coming to our website.
Describe your career progress to date and your future short-term and long-term career goals. How do you expect an MBA from Wharton to help you achieve these goals and why now? (1,000 words)
Growing up in a humble family in which subsistence was a challenge, I learned early in life to work hard and be persistent. As I hawked food on the streets of Lagos after classes to subsidize the little my parents could afford, I painted the picture I desired for myself on the canvass of life. Consequently, I worked hard to become the best performing student in my class whilst peddling petty items at night.
Eager to learn about business after high school, I enrolled at one of the best schools in Nigeria to study accounting and consequently earned my Bachelor’s degree from the Ogun State University with a 1st class honors degree (equivalent summa cum laude), graduating at the top of my class. My undergraduate education trained me to be an expert thinker in business and become resourceful, entrepreneurial, visionary and responsive to leadership demands in the community.
Upon graduation from college, I worked as a Corporate Auditor at the Standard Trust Bank Limited in Nigeria where I participated in business process and controls re-engineering and human capital audit for the bank. After a year stint with the bank, I resigned to pursue a Master’s of Accountancy degree at Bowling Green State University, Ohio. Immediately after completing my master’s degree, I passed both the Certified Public Accountants and Certified Management Accountants exams and joined the Assurance and Business Advisory group of the professional services firm of Deloitte & Touche where I provided consulting and reporting services on financial and non-financial information including SEC issues, quarterly reviews and implemented technical standards for clients in the retail, government and not-for-profit industries.
After one and half years at Deloitte, I joined the Financial Services Group at PricewaterhouseCoopers to focus on clients within the financial and investment industry. In this capacity, I led the audits of financial statements including reviews of quarterly financial information and audits of internal control over financial reporting as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act. At PricewaterhouseCoopers I learned to successfully run complex operations, entrust and delegate responsibilities, and manage people to effectively complete difficult tasks within deadline; generating huge sums of money for my company in the process.
My short-term goal is to pursue a career in a global private equity firm. Though, my academic background in accounting and professional work experience has enabled me to develop knowledge of the operational, marketing, valuation and financial issues confronting many business concerns, I believe that I have limited exposure to advanced strategic and financial management ideas, thus, obtaining an MBA at this time will provide the necessary platform to switch careers from auditing to private equity and eventually own my firm. Working in a private equity firm, I will acquire business development experience, develop my reputation within the industry, widen my personal and business networks and hone my managerial abilities. Clearly, this experience will help me grow into a well-rounded business leader, enhancing my ability to identify and execute business opportunities.
Most investors today focus on the emerging markets of Asia, India, South America and Eastern Europe. However, according to the World Bank, Africa represents a vast yet untapped market. Thus, my long-term career goal is to establish a private equity fund focused on investments in Africa by taking advantage of the opportunistic investments in that continent while generating huge returns for my investors.
Today, Africa lags behind in all index of social and economic development, and the main obstacle is the lack of talented leaders. It is in the best interest of Africa to nurture leaders who will in turn nurture other leaders and bring about development in the continent. Wharton School of Business, priding itself on building leaders who drive changes in the community, is the ideal place for me to acquire the skills necessary to help this beleaguered continent achieve sustainable growth and development. My long-term goal also includes building businesses that will empower the people of Africa, serving as a catalyst for development and the renaissance of the continent. I want to comfort the afflicted and want Wharton to be my partner!
In order to achieve my goal, I plan to focus on Finance and Entrepreneurial Management, taking classes such as Venture Capital and the Finance of Innovation. Because there is no substitute for hands-on experience, I plan to actively participate in the Entrepreneurship club and in a field study at The Sol C. Snider Entrepreneurial Research Center; I am confident that this experience and my strong business foundation will help me transform into a successful global business leader. The Wharton School of Business with its global perspective, diverse and talented student body, strong alumni network, world-renowned faculty and a strong focus on finance and entrepreneurship proffers the necessary intellectual environment and will provide the bridge between my previous work experiences and my future goals.
Conversely, I will bring my passion, in-depth knowledge of business, accounting and ethical issues confronting Fortune 500 companies to the class of 2008. Given my different cultural upbringing, I will help inject greater cultural diversity and bring stronger international focus to classrooms. I will seek elective position in both the Venture Capital and Private Equity Club where I intend to share my experience auditing private equity firms and in the Leadership and Ethics club; sharpening my leadership skills and in the African Students’ Association; participating in the organization of different events such as the Wharton African Business Forum. I believe that my international professional experience, proven leadership abilities and personal traits will be valuable assets to Wharton’s collaborative classroom learning approach.
I have no doubt that I will enrich the experience of classmates and faculty alike and more importantly become an excellent role model for subsequent students as an alumnus dedicated to the highest level of service and ethical standard.
**This essay is not perfect and it is only intended to give you guidance on how to write yours - so use with caution. It is copyleft and you are free to use as you deem fit.
Africa’s Economic Growth: Past Lessons and Future Prospects.
April 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 2008 - The period from 1960 to 2000 was one of remarkable growth and transformation in the world economy. Why did most of Sub-Saharan Africa fail to develop over most of this period? Why did a few small economies succeed spectacularly? Will the acceleration of growth since the mid-1990s be sustained? African political economists and experts gathered at the Peter G. Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington DC to discuss issues integral to the future prospects of the continent including topics such regional integration, human resources development, debt payment and debt relief, economic programs, financial services development and restructuring, financing of small and medium scale enterprises amongst others.
The seminar also coincided with the launching of “The Political Economy of Economic Growth in Africa, 1960-2000 (Volumes 1 & 2). The volumes’ contributing authors including Chukwuma C. Soludo - Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria , Stephen A. O’Connell- Professor of Economics, Swarthmore College, made presentations at the event. Other notable speakers includes Benno J. Ndulu, Governor, Central Bank of Tanzania, Robert Bates - Eaton Professor of the Science of Government and of African and African American Studies, Harvard University. To learn more about the event please visit www.cgdev.gov .
The seminar was jointly organized by the Center for Global Development and the Mortara Center for International Studies, Georgetown University.
Black Herald is proud to bring you pictures from the event.
University of Maryland - African Cultural Night 2008
April 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment
APRIL 12, 2008 - COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND - The African Students’ Association at the University of Maryland hosted the African Cultural Night yesterday to showcase African culture, fashion, music and people at the Clarice Smith Performing Art Center right in the heart of the school. Tagged “Afrik 101 - Then and now”, the show featured fashion exhibitions by African designers such as Kustom Looks, Tosa, Glossy and Galapego. The Bowie State Dancers, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Incorporated and the I&I Band performed at the event.
Black Herald is proud to bring you exciting pictures from the event.
Loyola College BSA 10th Annual Fashion Show 2008
April 6, 2008 | Leave a Comment
BALTIMORE MARYLAND - APRIL 4, 2008 - Loyola’s Black Student Association hosted “Vive La Fashion,” its 10th annual fashion show, on Friday, April 4 at 8 p.m. on the College’s North Charles Street campus at the Reitz Arena.
Fifty percent of the evening’s proceeds generated from the show will be donated to Loyola’s partner institution, St. Mary of the Assumption School, to help with tuition assistance.
The theme of this year’s show, “How Fashion Lives,” demonstrated various elements of fashion, including hair, makeup, movement, clothing and music. Six distinct scenes, each with its own wardrobe and models, will focus on a different element.
The event is sponsored by Loyola’s Black Student Association, ALANA Services, The Center for Community Service and Justice, The Office of Student Development, The Office of Academic Affairs and Diversity and The Student Government Association.
