Living in a developing country, I spend a lot of time during my one-and-a-half-hour commute to and from work thinking about how things could be made better. My ideas range from idiotic to (ahem) brilliant, from how to get street children off the streets and back into schools, to how many Starbucks joints should be allowed on every city block.

An hour is never enough to see these ideas to an end, but the constant desire to make changes and improve people's lives is always there. There's just so much potential for growth and improvement in unsaturated, emerging markets that I often wish I was a well-moneyed, well-connected, worldly, and brilliant business mogul, rather than a promising, idealistic (in a good way), 24-year old, investment fledgling.

I'm Czarina Valerio (Nina for short), and as I step toward my goal of becoming a modern-day superwoman who will inspire the weak, motivate the strong, and fight for economic prosperity through efficient capitalism, I am going to the University of Michigan Business School for my MBA.

THE ACCIDENTAL ANALYST  I graduated with a Business Economics degree from the University of the Philippines in 2001. During my undergraduate years, I was caught up in economic analysis, academic debates, collegiate journalism, charity work, and a host of other activities. The more I got involved, the more my parents stressed that this was just the first step to reaching my true potential. From my parents, I often heard, "Don't lay down your roots just yet," or "Don't put all your eggs in one basket."

They said that if I wanted to be competitive in the global business world, a Master's degree from an acclaimed educational institution was something I needed, too. A Master's would help me discover different ways of thinking, doing, and living, as well as how to create and innovate and to see what the rest of the world has to offer. I heed my parents' wisdom religiously because it comes from years of hard work that brought them from rags to riches.

When I graduated, my peers were competing for entry-level jobs in firms such as Unilever, Accenture, McKinsey, and ING Barings. Short term, it was tempting work. Long term, I wasn't sold.

So, I took an internship with H&Q Asia-Pacific, a 20-year old medium-sized private equity firm that was headquartered in Palo Alto, California and affiliated with J.P. Morgan H&Q. When I applied for the internship, I knew next to nothing about the firm but found myself fascinated by the venture capital industry. I had the idea of becoming an entrepreneur like my parents. I had read about the demanding nature of PE/VC, so I thought I knew what to expect.

I didn't know I would be expected to hit the ground running. From day one, I was exposed to all the rigors of being an investment analyst and explored businesses I would have never considered before, from BPO interests in Ahmedabad, to supplier management software firms in Massachusetts. It was exhilarating working those 15-hour days and constantly being on my feet, finishing projects, meeting people, and learning as much as I could. I felt I was part of something important and that my contribution had real value.

I was, however, very green, and often thought myself to be ill-equipped for the projects constantly dropped on my plate. I knew I had the skills and the capacity to learn, but I had no idea how and when to properly wield my strengths. "If only I had an MBA," I often thought to myself, while watching my MBA-laden colleagues discover new technology and talent, zip through negotiations, and nitpick 20 cross-referenced spreadsheets in one productive afternoon. I felt I was messing up an opportunity of a lifetime, so I was surprised when my internship led to a job offer.

I grew to love venture capital. I was a hungry child in a candy store and, everyday for three years, I got the mental equivalent of a sugar high. I witnessed the industry peak at the turn of the millennium and all the euphoria that came with it. I had a front row seat when markets crashed and economies struggled with the debris. And, in recent months, I had seen things begin to pick up again as changes took place and people learned from their mistakes.

I learned, too, while observing different types of managers working in different economic environments. Working with entrepreneurs from different countries and backgrounds, I was able to vicariously experience entrepreneurship in the new global economy as well. Were it not for the relentless demands of my job, I doubt that in under three years I would've developed the professional maturity needed to pursue an MBA.

THE TURNING TIDE  I was extremely satisfied with my career, but was also aware that my stint in PE/VC was transitory. I wanted to be more involved, to build companies from scratch and to go further than I could conceive. It was time to accelerate my ascent on the learning curve.

Financially, emotionally, and physically, the MBA is a huge investment. The application process is a grueling experience that will test your will, highlight your weaknesses, and question your strengths. In late 2002, I began to evaluate my readiness for pursuing my MBA and outlined how it was going to help my five- and ten-year plans. It is not only important for each applicant to know if he/she's presently ready for the MBA, but also if his/her future is ready as well. As the Cheshire Cat said to Alice in Through the Looking Glass, "If you don't know where you're going, it doesn't matter how you get there."

I'm going toward entrepreneurship. I just need a practical and solid MBA program that will expose me to roles beyond finance. For this reason, I didn't choose to go to my dream school.

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