PS draft. any thoughts greatly appreciated!
Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 5:24 am
I finally think I have a draft that might be going in the right direction. I could really use some fresh perspective on it. Any advice would be very appreciated. Thanks!
“You have the power to change the world in real and lasting ways,” Professor A tilted his chin to survey the class over his glasses. I shrunk in my chair, certain he had caught my gaze. Like many of my professors, A was a renaissance man with the resume of a modern day superhero. Along with his professorship at UNIVERSITY, he was also a leading intellectual property attorney, and travelled to Alabama for pro bono defense work. He applauded our hard work in getting to UNIVERSITY, and with his next breath assured us that the opportunity would be wasted without the initiative to match. He explained that for many of us those changes would start with the small steps we would make in classes like his—and that it would take not only hard work in the classroom, but also connections to the world outside of the UNIVERSITY bubble.
Swept up in a world of international law research for my final paper, I thought back to his advice. I timidly typed out an email to an attorney whose team had recently argued a case in front of the Supreme Court of the United States. I reviewed the email thoroughly, gathered my courage, and hit send. A few days later, I was on the phone with one of the attorney’s co-counsel. My prepared questions did not ready me for the thrill of interacting with a person who had such close and personal knowledge of the case I had been researching. She happily answered my questions, helpfully explained the key issues and humbly extolled the importance arguing immigration rights in front of the Supreme Court even in cases, like hers, that end in a loss.
Still reeling from the experience, I finished my paper with an unfamiliar fervor. For the first time since reaching UNIVERSITY, I felt free of the many weights I had been lugging around—guilt for the financial burden placed on my family, fear of failing to meet the standards set by my peers, and general uneasiness about finding my way. I began to apply A's advice to other aspects of my life, and found that taking risks through initiative netted impressive results. Whereas before, I might shy away from a potential mentor or collaborator, I began seizing opportunities when I found them and creating them when I did not. I learned that major changes were possible, but the first step was always to ask.
This ingrained sense of initiative has lead to tremendous personal growth over my two terms with AmeriCorps. Before accepting the position at NON PROFIT, I familiarized myself with the organization’s many programs, and which ones I would best serve. I helped draft my position description, ensuring that I would be involved with the projects I found most interesting. My passion for serving young, impoverished communities fueled my interest in the Transitional Living Program, which helps homeless youth find their way to independent living through an outreach and residential program. After a couple of months acclimating to the program, I approached my supervisor and told her that I was ready to take on a caseload of my own—something not often done by AmeriCorps members. Not only did I feel prepared, I told her, but I also believed it would make me a greater asset to the organization and give me more experience.
At UNIVERSITY, it is easy to become intimidated or overwhelmed by all of the entrepreneurial energy—sitting in a campus eatery, you are bound to overhear buzz about one person’s startup, another’s application user interface, and another’s brilliant non-profit idea. I am sure that selection bias is partly responsible, but beyond that is the fact that UNIVERSITY imbues its students with a sense of self-efficacy. I feel confident in my ability to analyze issues from unique perspectives, formulate novel interventions, and forge community partnerships to see them implemented. A law degree will provide a new set of tools to use in my ongoing efforts to improve the community around me. From time to time I reflect on Professor A’s words of inspiration. I believe that I am capable of becoming an agent of real and meaningful change; it is with that confidence that I pursue the study of law.
“You have the power to change the world in real and lasting ways,” Professor A tilted his chin to survey the class over his glasses. I shrunk in my chair, certain he had caught my gaze. Like many of my professors, A was a renaissance man with the resume of a modern day superhero. Along with his professorship at UNIVERSITY, he was also a leading intellectual property attorney, and travelled to Alabama for pro bono defense work. He applauded our hard work in getting to UNIVERSITY, and with his next breath assured us that the opportunity would be wasted without the initiative to match. He explained that for many of us those changes would start with the small steps we would make in classes like his—and that it would take not only hard work in the classroom, but also connections to the world outside of the UNIVERSITY bubble.
Swept up in a world of international law research for my final paper, I thought back to his advice. I timidly typed out an email to an attorney whose team had recently argued a case in front of the Supreme Court of the United States. I reviewed the email thoroughly, gathered my courage, and hit send. A few days later, I was on the phone with one of the attorney’s co-counsel. My prepared questions did not ready me for the thrill of interacting with a person who had such close and personal knowledge of the case I had been researching. She happily answered my questions, helpfully explained the key issues and humbly extolled the importance arguing immigration rights in front of the Supreme Court even in cases, like hers, that end in a loss.
Still reeling from the experience, I finished my paper with an unfamiliar fervor. For the first time since reaching UNIVERSITY, I felt free of the many weights I had been lugging around—guilt for the financial burden placed on my family, fear of failing to meet the standards set by my peers, and general uneasiness about finding my way. I began to apply A's advice to other aspects of my life, and found that taking risks through initiative netted impressive results. Whereas before, I might shy away from a potential mentor or collaborator, I began seizing opportunities when I found them and creating them when I did not. I learned that major changes were possible, but the first step was always to ask.
This ingrained sense of initiative has lead to tremendous personal growth over my two terms with AmeriCorps. Before accepting the position at NON PROFIT, I familiarized myself with the organization’s many programs, and which ones I would best serve. I helped draft my position description, ensuring that I would be involved with the projects I found most interesting. My passion for serving young, impoverished communities fueled my interest in the Transitional Living Program, which helps homeless youth find their way to independent living through an outreach and residential program. After a couple of months acclimating to the program, I approached my supervisor and told her that I was ready to take on a caseload of my own—something not often done by AmeriCorps members. Not only did I feel prepared, I told her, but I also believed it would make me a greater asset to the organization and give me more experience.
At UNIVERSITY, it is easy to become intimidated or overwhelmed by all of the entrepreneurial energy—sitting in a campus eatery, you are bound to overhear buzz about one person’s startup, another’s application user interface, and another’s brilliant non-profit idea. I am sure that selection bias is partly responsible, but beyond that is the fact that UNIVERSITY imbues its students with a sense of self-efficacy. I feel confident in my ability to analyze issues from unique perspectives, formulate novel interventions, and forge community partnerships to see them implemented. A law degree will provide a new set of tools to use in my ongoing efforts to improve the community around me. From time to time I reflect on Professor A’s words of inspiration. I believe that I am capable of becoming an agent of real and meaningful change; it is with that confidence that I pursue the study of law.