Personal Statement -- Submitted and Accepted Forum

[XLogic]

PS submitted this cycle - Me = good softs, GPA 3.7, less-than 160 LSAT... Accepted at T20 school. Will be attending this Fall. TLS has been great - Thanks!

The gully erosion devastating the town of Ekwulobia, in Southeastern Nigeria, is like a cancer eating at the core of a healthy organ. For over twenty years, this disease has plagued my hometown, causing the loss of businesses, homes, and in some cases, lives. Whenever I visited my hometown, we would drive for miles just to get around the stupendous craters in the earth. I think about my people’s ingenuity, resourcefulness, and un-paralleled drive to succeed, and I am saddened by the fact that their progress is being impeded by this natural disaster. In spite of this setback, the community courageously forges ahead, and today is one of the main commercial hubs between the eastern and western parts of the country. This inspires me to do something in the affirmative to help my community realize its true economic potential. To this end, I intend to seek creative ways to assist in any way I can.

I grew up in Jos, a metropolitan city in the North-central region of Nigeria. My parents taught me that through hard work and perseverance, I can achieve great things in life. I practiced this tenet by working in some capacity all through my high school career, gaining practical experience in my dad’s shop by convincing local business men to purchase our welding equipment. In my hometown, the local entrepreneurs generate twice as much business as we do in the city. “How much more could they achieve if given the opportunity?” I wondered. Several years later, I graduated from high school and moved to the United States to continue my academic and life education, and I resolved to someday return to my native hometown with solutions to address our failing economic infrastructure.

My interest in business and technology influenced my decision to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Business Information Systems. I learned how former third world countries became more prosperous by investing in their economic infrastructure and attracting foreign direct investments from the United States and Europe. I believe in community investment and have practiced this by volunteering as a computer instructor in a community outreach program, and by assisting a non-profit organization in Seattle to improve their software systems. I also served on the planning committee of the Nigerian Youth Association chapter in Seattle, where we organized and hosted successful local cultural events. We raised about 3,000 dollars from local sponsors to showcase the best of our Nigerian cultural heritage. I strongly believe that improving Nigeria’s image abroad is critical to attracting foreign investment.

In 2009, I joined a start-up technology company as a Software developer and analyst. In this capacity, I worked with the CEO and our Marketing and Sales team, to document business requirements and work within our development team to implement the software solution. Our company was engaged in creating a smart flash drive solution for promotional and security applications and we were in the process of entering into a strategic partnership with a Chinese manufacturer. I seized this opportunity to query our lawyers about the different contract agreements they prepared for the impending partnership. I also worked with the Senior Architect to document the technical diagrams and processes used to apply for a provisional patent to protect our unique technology. Through this experience, I saw how the law can be used to connect business professionals from different countries to meet an economic need, and at the same time, to protect the interests of the parties involved. I was sold on this model of using the law as a facilitative tool to unite different parties to solve big problems. The decision to apply to law school was the next logical step toward achieving my goal.

My sense of urgency peaked on receiving word of the great flood that swept through Nigeria, from the west to the south-east (including my hometown), between July and November of 2012. Some reports indicate that as many as 200 people have perished, and at least a million people have lost their homes and businesses. My decision to apply to law school is influenced by my goal to make my community a better place. I believe that effective partnerships between private and public institutions, both locally and externally, are required to provide the much needed aide to distressed areas in Nigeria. My plan is to participate in public interest clinics (while in law school) where I can raise more awareness about the hardships endured by my people. After graduation, I plan to join an international law firm to gain experience in intellectual property law, international law and global infrastructure development. After several years of practice, I hope to be able to deploy this experience directly toward raising funds from traditional and non-traditional sources to invest in infrastructure development projects in Nigeria and throughout Africa.

My will and ability to succeed are derived from my parents who always encouraged me to work hard and contribute my share to a better tomorrow. I fully appreciate the scope of the problem for which I seek a lasting solution, but I fully intend to partner with like-minded leaders on this journey. If I impact my hometown for the better, even by a small margin, then I hope that this one action has a multiplier effect that cascades through Africa and the world at large.