Specific. I will utilize my education and talent to engage in meaningful work and research to help make sense of and find solutions to the plight of people fleeing from natural disasters and conflict.

​

Measurable. I have carefully outlined the way forward in a detailed academic and career plan. As of January 2018, I have earned 103 credit hours. 

​

Attainable. One semester at a time, one certificate at a time, I am achieving my goals.

​

Relevant. The reality of the current political environment and the consequences climate change have resulted in humanitarian crises throughout the world that require immediate attention, and that is why I chose to study emergency management; because it is absolutely relevant. Through the coursework I am pursuing at Arkansas Tech University, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, the American Red Cross, and Save the Children Action Network, I am gaining the necessary skills to become a successful emergency manager. I will offer to the universe the skills I have learned: principles of emergency management, leadership, technology, technical writing, research and methodology, ethics and policy, geographic information science (ArcGIS), grant writing, business continuity, volunteerism, and advocacy.

​

Timebound. In May 2020, I will have earned a Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management with minors in Japanese and Cultural & Geospatial Studies. 

​

​

               Emily Esfahani Smith talks about the four pillars of a meaningful life.