Professional Statement

Greetings! My name is Joseph Jackson and I am a sophomore at Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU). I chose to attend MVSU because I knew I could receive a quality education in my field of study. I have always set short-term and long-term goals. I am currently meeting some long-term goals and I am now in the process of making new goals.

I chose the field of Computer Science because I enjoy working with computers and I like to keep up with the latest technological aspects in society. Also, I know there will always be a job opportunity available being that the entire world is centered on technology. I began to make my path for pursuing a Computer Science degree when I was offered the opportunity to participate in the National Science Foundation HBCU Undergraduate Program in 2006, which was located on the campus of MVSU under the direction of Dr. Constance G. Bland. During the program, I became well acquainted with the staff of the Computer Science and Mathematics Department including Dr. Bland. I enjoyed the environment at MVSU so I decided to make it my collegiate home.

In the process of reaching my goals, I have taken and excelled in courses such as Survey of Computer Science and Computer Programming. While taking these courses, I have been familiarized with skills such as using HTML to construct web pages and the C++ programming language. I plan to further my skills by taking more courses needed to receive my degree in Computer Science. I am an active member of the Mathematics, Computer & Information Science (MCIS) Club at MVSU.

During the summer of 2010, I had the opportunity to participate in the Undergraduate Research Experience in Ocean, Marine, and Polar Science (URE-OMPS) research program at Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) under the direction of Dr. Linda Hayden. The title to my research was "Generation of Titanic Primes Through High Performance Computing Infrastructure." My team's focus was to generate a titanic prime number by using high performance computing resources. While attending this research program, I have improved my computer skills and have been exposed to various aspects of research.

I will like to receive many more opportunities to research on information that relate to my career. Therefore, I plan to apply for more internship opportunities. In particular, I will apply for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research program as well as internships for major corporations and government agencies such as J.P. Morgan Chase and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). I plan to obtain as much information as possible by researching in the area of technology. Also, I will like to attain field experience so that I will have some type of knowledge of what to prepare for in the near future as I establish my career.

I have also had the opportunity to attend conferences that relate to my field of study. These conferences were the Alliance for Graduate Education in Mississippi (AGEM), which was held in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and the Association for Computer Machinery Technological Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE), which was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

After graduating from MVSU, I plan to extend my education to a Master’s Degree and Ph.D. in computer engineering or graphic design at an accredited institution. Upon receiving these degrees, I plan to begin my career.