Personal Statement - rip it apart
Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 1:37 pm
Alright folks here is my statement. I have had a really hard time writing this thing as the only writing I have done for the past three years has been researched based. I am hoping it is not too cheasy or anything like that. Have a look and rip it apart. =)
Some people have a difficult time pinpointing the one moment in their lifetime that resulted in the current direction of their lives. We are all on one path or another because of these moments; however it is a very rare occurrence for us to understand what led to that moment, or for some when that moment actually took place. For myself, determining this point was actually extremely simple when I looked back over my experiences; sometimes simplicity is found in complication. Death is quite the sobering topic for most; few however experience the idea of death first hand. I never thought that I would be a member of those few and yet had I not; I would be only a shadow of who I am now.
When trying to decide on the direction of this personal statement, I thought it would be a good idea to ask the people who know me what it is that they feel sets me apart from everyone else. The answer surprised me in that every person I asked came back with some selection of drive, determination, and ambition. At hearing this, I was instantly intrigued by such consensus thus leading to my trying to figure out exactly why I have this apparent drive. In this analysis, I realized that there have been three very important factors in my life which have led up to me being who I am now: the failure of my father; the influence of my grandfather; and the time period where I wondered not where my life would go, but whether I would have a life to live.
My parents divorced when I was eight years old. Although divorce can be quite dramatic, I was lucky enough that both my mother and father understood that ensuring my well being through the process. For this reason I was never really told why the divorce took place and in a way, I think my mom wanted me to see my dad’s mistakes for myself rather than hear about them from her. After years of forgotten birthdays, lessening phone calls, and a complete inability to make the one hour drive to visit me; I came to my own conclusions. My father was not a bad man and loved me in his own way; however his being a good man did not transform into the ability to be a good father. As much as I was saddened by his lack of interest in my life, I was saddened even further to realize that it came not from emotional issues but from pure laziness. When I finally asked about my conclusions, my mother told me that often when work would come up, my father would turn it down and go fishing instead, despite the fact that we needed the money for food and clothes. Upon hearing this I decided that no matter what, I would never be a lazy person. This led me to always strive for the highest goals and to always have more than one goal in line so that I would never be without something to work towards. Never will I allow myself to be complacent with my position in life, I will always strive to be the absolute best in whatever I do no matter how difficult that may be and no matter who says I cannot do it or refuses to support me.
My father being out of the picture was not all bad as it allowed me to gain a truly unique individual as my mentor; my mother’s father. Pops as we called him, led a very intriguing life starting off as a garbage man and becoming an extremely successful Land Trader. Of all the people I have ever met, he is the hardest worker of them all without question. No matter how successful he is, Pops always has something else in the works; not due to greed but due to a genuine love for what he does and a desire to prove to himself that he can always do better. When my parents divorced Pops became the mentor and father figure I had been lacking up to that point. When my parents were still together and especially after they separated, I would go and stay with my grandparents for large portions of the summer. It was during these times that Pops really became the man I looked up to and wanted to be like. Even after my mother remarried an amazing man who has truly been the best father a boy could ask for, Pops was still always the man I strived to be like. When I was in High School grandfather moved close to us and I started spending very large amounts of time with him, both from a personal standpoint and in a business sense. I would often drive him all over Texas to meetings and business deals. This period was an extremely important time for me as I developed a focus for my drive and determination. Pops always drilled into me the idea that the most important thing a man can do is provide for; and leave a legacy for his family. I realized through his guidance that legacy has nothing to do with money. Legacy is the memory you leave for your family and those who knew you. It is the character you impress upon people that will never leave their minds. Pops taught me as much as he did and worked as hard as he did so that I, along with the other members of our family, would do our best to have an equally strong work ethic. And thus by instilling within all of us this ideal of always striving to better yourself in order to provide for your family, Pops taught us exactly what it takes to be successful in the world.
Although in my first year of college I was a driven individual, I still did not have anything specific to drive for. I knew I wanted to be a lawyer but I was not entirely sure why. I think at that point, I liked the idea of being in the courtroom and put little additional thought into it. After my freshman year however, things changed greatly. In July of 2008 I underwent an extensive jaw surgery to correct issues with my mouth. Sadly, mistakes were made with the surgery and over the next six months I had eight surgeries, spent two months on a liquid only diet, and was unable to return to Baylor for the fall semester of my sophomore year. Not only was I completely devastated by my inability to continue my college career, I was frightened by the reasoning; it was too much of a question as to whether or not the doctors would be able to clear all of the infection out. During this time off I had a lot of time to sit, or lay as it were, and think about the way my life was going and where I wanted to go. I gained a much stronger appreciation for life and for the opportunity I had before me. Hearing my doctors tell me they weren’t sure what was happening or if they could correct it made me realize just how short life can really be. It was at this moment that I decided that no matter what career I went into, I wanted it to be something where I could continue to increase my skills throughout my career. I want to be in a field where I will never be in a position to stop learning or to be satisfied with where I am. I realized then that not trying to be the best I can possibly be is a waste of a good life and that I owe it to everyone around me to do my absolute best.
And so my analysis brings me here, to the realization that I will always be driven to succeed. No matter how high I may go, there will always be another summit to be achieved, and I will do my best to achieve that. I look at law as the ultimate education opportunity, a career where no matter how long I practice; there will always be something more for me to learn. This is the most important goal I could possibly strive for; to go through a career constantly bettering myself as a person and a lawyer and to make sure that my relentless drive is put to good use.