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everybody was worried about where we would be sleeping and, more importantly, about keeping our belongings

open to suggestions about how to best get out of the situation we were in.

that now was not the time to start discussing why we should never have come to Prague in the first place

I sought out advice from a hostel secretary and, at 2 a.m., we found a place to stay.

Stl2012 wrote:We were lost late at night in an Eastern European country that none of us had ever been to before. My classmates and I were taking a Crisis Diplomacy class in Vienna, Austria and decided to travel to Prague for the weekend. The hostel we booked gave our rooms away, so our group was searching for somewhere to sleep in the Czech Republic at 11:30 at night. It was a long day of traveling and group morale began to deteriorate. Frustrations boiled over, people lost their composure, and everybody was worried where we would be sleeping and, more importantly, keeping our belongings. Our group of twenty looked like typical American tourists; we had suitcases, ipods, and were completely disoriented and unaware of our surroundings. Up until this point, I remained calm and open to suggestions as how to best get out of the situation we were in. When people started arguing and bickering, I stepped in and reminded everybody that now was not the time to start discussing why we should have never came to Prague in the first place, or why whoever planned the trip should be scolded. I told them we needed to find a place to stay and that was the bottom line. After settling everyone down and throwing around ideas, I sought out advice from a hostel secretary and at 2 a.m., we found a place to stay.

Events like this seemed to become the norm for our group in our six week study abroad program. Whatever could go wrong, did go wrong. Yet, being thrown into these unfamiliar, stressful situations is something that has made me a more confident individual. Although I did not handle every situation as well as I could have while I was in Europe, I was able to roll with the punches, succeed in an appropriately titled ‘Crisis Diplomacy’ class, and immerse myself in another culture in a short span of time. Law school is another unfamiliar, stressful situation that I will have to adapt to, and I believe I can succeed given my track record.

However, my study abroad class is not the only testament to my academic success and potential in law school. I have performed especially well in the past spring term due to a maturation of my academic identity, goals, and interests. In a term where I had decided to challenge myself by taking all upper level courses, an honors course, and an intensive 11 hour/week LSAT prep course, I performed at a higher level than in any other semester. I am assured that not only can I succeed in law school, but law school is a judicious path to take toward my career goals.

I have held a steady interest in the law for most of my academic life, but was not always convinced that law school was right for me. However, after watching those in the legal profession help people in a capacity that most cannot, I became convinced that I could gain great satisfaction out of a career in law. This moment came after hearing that a friend of mine and teammate in high school had lost his older brother in a drunken driving accident when we were young kids, and that their family filed suit against the drinking establishment that served the drunk driver. The suit was not about money, or getting revenge on the drunk driver and his family. The suit was about shutting down a bar that was notorious for serving underage kids that came to the bar on a frequent basis and usually drove home. The suit eventually forced the bar to shut down, gave my friend’s family the closure they deserved, and made the surrounding area and roads a safer place. To be able to serve in this capacity, to provide help to those families who need guidance, and to perform an essential public service by defending those who may not be able to defend themselves, that is why I want to become a lawyer.