“What do you want to be when you grow up?” » This may be a typical parent-child question for many families, but not for mine. Growing up in Thai culture, I noticed the common role of women in my society. Most of the female members of my family are housewives and that's what I should be too when I grow up. But my aspirations were bigger than that: I wanted to find a profession in which, as a Thai woman, I could gain the respect and appreciation of people of my culture, just like men, and also gain a sense of personal development. Therefore, throughout the first half of my undergraduate studies, I decided to follow an educational path that would prepare me to become a doctor. I also became interested in psychology, in part because of its relevance to medical sciences. However, after my internship in a hospital, I realized that I did not want to pursue a career as a doctor. Instead, my interest in psychology grew as I began taking more psychology courses. I realized that my passion was actually the study of the human mind and behavior. Then I realized that instead of studying to become someone that people in my culture will respect and appreciate, I want to study the issues that I and many women in Thailand face. My interest in gender stereotypes and discrimination, particularly in recruitment. and employment, developed in my IO psychology and women's and gender psychology courses. I began to recognize that this problem exists not only in Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, but also in many parts of the world. I want to understand the underlying causes and potential ways to combat stereotyping and discrimination. I don't think there are many individuals yet...... middle of paper ......helle Duffy (Emotion and Affect in the Workplace). I would like to focus my studies and research in the areas of personnel, training and development, and organizational behavior and theory. The Carlson School of Management is a top HRIR program, known for its strong research orientation and excellent student standing. preparation for an academic career. It also has a diverse student population. It is for these reasons that I wish to join the HRIR doctorate. program at the Carlson School of Management. As my research interests overlap with those of many distinguished professors at Carlson, I believe that my study and research here will prepare me for my future academic career. I hope you will make a favorable decision regarding my admission to the program. I look forward to joining the Ph.D. program within the HRIR department.