Rough Draft Forum

[Frammshamm]

thanks in advance for anyone who takes the time to read it and offer advice.
This PS is tailored towards Houston since im applying there for early decision. Its 2 pages double spaced 930 words.
Im 33 years old, applying as a non traditional student.
LSAT 167
GPA 3.1 (nasty first two trimesters back in 1998 at UCLA with a a 1.7ish GPA)

It’s 5:13 in the morning, and although the harsh cold air is shocking as it seeps into my sleeping bag, there is also an odd comfort in the park’s peacefulness at this early hour. It had been busy last night, and finding a safe and secluded spot had taken until almost 1am, yet I feel decently refreshed given only 4 hours and change of sleep. For a few moments I take in my surroundings. A trio of ducks makes their way out onto the lake; a couple of early birds chirp in the trees overhead, and as the last minutes of darkness fade into dawn, the park is beautiful. My mind wanders a bit. Thoughts of past camping trips at Enchanted Rock in Fredericksburg, along with the warmth of my bag, slowly tempt me away from wakefulness. Its 5:15, I could just close my….”Eh?, 外国人ですか？ほんとですよ!どうしよおかな?” ( Gaikokujin desuka? Honto Desuyo!, Doushiyookana?). Reality is harsher than any Tokyo November air in my sleeping bag. Two hung-over Japanese men are making their way toward me, and I have no idea what they just said. I quickly unzip my bag and stand up. Their curiosity lingers, but after a few moments they seem to remember that their half empty bottle is more interesting. I quickly roll up my sleeping bag, grab my backpack, and head south out of Ueno Park towards the station. There is a cheap internet café where I can take a shower and change. I check the suit in my bag to make sure it still looks decent. Today is a big day. I have three interviews this afternoon, but the follow-up interview this morning is all I can think about. Mrs. Jun Tori had just opened up a new branch school when one of her teachers suddenly quit. She needed someone to start immediately. I had no experience teaching English to 3yr old children through music, but this was my best opportunity.
I had only been working in Japan for 3 months when my company, NOVA, decided to supernova. On paper, the company was fine. In the office, the stream of students was steady. However, when reality struck in early November that year, it stuck fast. October paychecks vanished and offices were locked. Evicted from their company sponsored apartments, 5,000 foreign English teachers were suddenly left jobless. The vast majority simply packed their bags and returned home. Many had already been teaching in Japan for quite some time. I on the other hand, had just started. Prior to completing my university, I had spent 5 years in the USMC using my language skills to monitor other countries. After graduating, I decided I wanted a first-hand experience of life abroad. That was why I had moved to Japan. I wasn’t about to let a corrupt company and a few nights in a public park deter me from my goal.
It was during my third and final year living in Japan that I took some time to seriously consider my career and future. At the time, I was very satisfied with my situation. Professionally, teaching young children was an incredibly rewarding experience, and personally, I felt that I had successfully embraced all the challenges of moving to a new country and learning another new language and culture. However, my time in Japan was coming to an end. I knew that for the time being I wanted to continue travelling and teaching. I also knew that while a new country and a new job would present new and exciting challenges, I would never be fully satisfied if I didn’t eventually repatriate and finish my studies in the United States. Law school had always been my preferred choice for graduate school, so I enrolled in the LSAT at Temple University’s Tokyo campus.
It’s now been seven years that I’ve been living abroad. Currently I am residing in Malaysia, training public school teachers how to apply new pedagogical principles in their classrooms. My entire experience has been nothing short of amazing, and I often think back on my time in Ueno Park in Tokyo, thankful that I didn’t take the easy road. Despite the rewards, I feel that I cannot reach my full intellectual and professional potential as a travelling teacher. Now that my 3 year contract in Malaysia is up, I have decided that this is a great time to pursue my interest in law school. My wife has just finished her studies and begun her process to immigrate to the United States. I am also at a point where I feel that I can take on the financial responsibility of law school, without placing too great a burden on my wife and family. After looking at many law schools, I am deciding to apply for early decision to the University of Houston because it is the best fit for my circumstance. My father’s family, who reside in Houston, has also recently been through the difficult process of immigration to the USA. This support network, which would be invaluable for my wife, along with the university’s top Energy and Environmental Law program, make University of Houston’s law school my number one choice. Law school comes with many new challenges and I believe that my experiences as a leader, teacher, mentor, and professional will be my foundation for success. I look forward to honing my skills while in pursuit of a J.D, and eagerly await the opportunity to move forward in my career.