Is this ready?
Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2012 5:26 pm
I think this is ready, but would like to get a last minute critique before I submit it. The only thing I would like to change is the use of the word "journey" in the last paragraph, but I can't think of anything good to replace it with.
I have never allowed myself to believe that anything is unattainable. Struggles have certainly come and gone throughout my life, but I have remained faithful to the belief that self-determination is the key to overcoming life’s tragedies. Even upon reflection of the uncomfortable moments growing up in an underprivileged neighborhood, wearing hand me down clothes, or standing in the free lunch line at school, I still cannot recall one instance in which I doubted my worth. I convinced myself early on that being poor did not make me stupid, dirty, or any less capable of accomplishing my goals. By the time I was twenty-one years old I felt fairly satisfied in life. I had managed to be the first in my family to graduate high school, and I had proudly served my country as a United States Marine. Afterward, I obtained employment with a very well respected local business, which generated excellent benefits and allowed for me to live comfortably with my wife and newborn child. It became very important for me as a new father to protect my child from the disadvantages that I experienced, and to simultaneously serve as an example of what can be accomplished through hard work and dedication.
Sadly, a new chapter of my life began at this time that presented another struggle we all must eventually overcome. Within a few short years, ten of my very close friends and family passed away in separate instances. I began to look at life differently after this traumatic string of deaths, and reexamine what I wanted out of it. I began to realize that perhaps my “good job” within the community was actually pretty mediocre, and I began to wonder what I would be remembered for when my life came to an end. Going to the same job day after day and providing for my family would certainly be commendable, but was I capable of accomplishing more? Should I dare leave the safety of a successful business that pays well in a failing economy to pursue an education? I was fearful to make such a bold decision, but my intuition kept insisting that I could accomplish more, and that I would spend the rest of my life regretting it if I didn’t pursue something better for my family and myself.
Taking a leap of faith, I decided to give my employer a months’ notice in order to pursue an associate degree in paralegal studies. The introductions into separate areas of the law left me both excited and curious to learn more. The same feelings that had urged me to engage in my educational aspirations were beginning to inspire me to embark on a journey to become a practicing attorney. Therefore, by the time I graduated magna cum laude with my associate’s degree I had already decided that I would pursue a Juris Doctorate. I then enrolled in a joint Homeland Security & Public Safety program at my university that excited me because it explained more about the judicial process. In addition, the program encouraged public speaking, open discussions, and debates within the classroom that have helped to improve my speaking skills, which I expect will assist me in my legal education. Above all, the program presented an opportunity for me to serve an internship under a local Judge at the {OMMITTED} Court in {OMMITTED}, Indiana. This experience allowed me to witness two hundred hours of court proceedings which added to my excitement about the law, but also lead to a realization. The intuition that had gotten me to this point was not coincidental, it was leading me to the practice of law and I knew it then more than ever.
Unfortunately, tragedy struck my life again in the fall of 2012 with the unexpected death of my mother, and I am reminded again of how short life is and how important it is for a person to pursue what it is that they are inspired to do. My journey has not been easy to this point, and I expect a legal education will have its challenges as well. However, the best way I know to honor the ones I love who are gone today is to pursue my dreams, and become the success that I know I can be. Never have I doubted my worth, but now is the appropriate time to demonstrate my true value.
I have never allowed myself to believe that anything is unattainable. Struggles have certainly come and gone throughout my life, but I have remained faithful to the belief that self-determination is the key to overcoming life’s tragedies. Even upon reflection of the uncomfortable moments growing up in an underprivileged neighborhood, wearing hand me down clothes, or standing in the free lunch line at school, I still cannot recall one instance in which I doubted my worth. I convinced myself early on that being poor did not make me stupid, dirty, or any less capable of accomplishing my goals. By the time I was twenty-one years old I felt fairly satisfied in life. I had managed to be the first in my family to graduate high school, and I had proudly served my country as a United States Marine. Afterward, I obtained employment with a very well respected local business, which generated excellent benefits and allowed for me to live comfortably with my wife and newborn child. It became very important for me as a new father to protect my child from the disadvantages that I experienced, and to simultaneously serve as an example of what can be accomplished through hard work and dedication.
Sadly, a new chapter of my life began at this time that presented another struggle we all must eventually overcome. Within a few short years, ten of my very close friends and family passed away in separate instances. I began to look at life differently after this traumatic string of deaths, and reexamine what I wanted out of it. I began to realize that perhaps my “good job” within the community was actually pretty mediocre, and I began to wonder what I would be remembered for when my life came to an end. Going to the same job day after day and providing for my family would certainly be commendable, but was I capable of accomplishing more? Should I dare leave the safety of a successful business that pays well in a failing economy to pursue an education? I was fearful to make such a bold decision, but my intuition kept insisting that I could accomplish more, and that I would spend the rest of my life regretting it if I didn’t pursue something better for my family and myself.
Taking a leap of faith, I decided to give my employer a months’ notice in order to pursue an associate degree in paralegal studies. The introductions into separate areas of the law left me both excited and curious to learn more. The same feelings that had urged me to engage in my educational aspirations were beginning to inspire me to embark on a journey to become a practicing attorney. Therefore, by the time I graduated magna cum laude with my associate’s degree I had already decided that I would pursue a Juris Doctorate. I then enrolled in a joint Homeland Security & Public Safety program at my university that excited me because it explained more about the judicial process. In addition, the program encouraged public speaking, open discussions, and debates within the classroom that have helped to improve my speaking skills, which I expect will assist me in my legal education. Above all, the program presented an opportunity for me to serve an internship under a local Judge at the {OMMITTED} Court in {OMMITTED}, Indiana. This experience allowed me to witness two hundred hours of court proceedings which added to my excitement about the law, but also lead to a realization. The intuition that had gotten me to this point was not coincidental, it was leading me to the practice of law and I knew it then more than ever.
Unfortunately, tragedy struck my life again in the fall of 2012 with the unexpected death of my mother, and I am reminded again of how short life is and how important it is for a person to pursue what it is that they are inspired to do. My journey has not been easy to this point, and I expect a legal education will have its challenges as well. However, the best way I know to honor the ones I love who are gone today is to pursue my dreams, and become the success that I know I can be. Never have I doubted my worth, but now is the appropriate time to demonstrate my true value.