Here is my first draft of a Diversity statement. Please thrash away:
Still rough, so any advice welcome, even if just typos.I’ve always excelled at running; so much so I was once ranked the fastest sprinter in my High School based on age. Unfortunately, my skill in running ventures further than physical prowess, as I’ve spent my whole life running away from my past. My mother was raised fundamentalist Mormon and I’m told my grandmother that she was a good person growing up. It is hard to see that now, especially as she has just narrowly escaped Federal prison and is under house arrest in Utah for fraud. I hate thinking this, as there are so many people in the world who would risk their lives for the luxuries I’ve been inherently given, yet still I can’t think about growing up without comparing it to what Hell must be like.
Growing up I was raised by a 73 year old religious fundamentalist who suffered from schizophrenia. There is nothing wrong living with a man who is deeply in touch with his faith, but there is when that faith is founded upon the belief that god spoke literally, and directly, through them on a daily bases. We lived off donations from local churches and the charity Deseret, whilst he spent most of his days “correcting” the bible to adequately reflect what he thought were the words of God. After he died, I was raised by my mother who paradoxically worked as an escort, servicing auto shops based in Southern California. This was quite a change one could say, and one of my earlier memories is of having to call her clients at home in the middle of the night to let them know she was free. As my mother “worked” nights, it was much safer to be out of the house (especially if her clients were drinking), so I would slip out and take free ballet lessons from a retired German dancer a couple miles away.
After graduating, the last thing I wanted in this world was to have anything to do with my current circumstances. My mother told me that if I left she would kill herself, and I finally got to the stage where I packed up my meagre belongings to leave and no longer cared. Every day I looked for the opportunity to get further away as I hated myself, I hated my life, and I hatred the world that allowed my circumstances to exist. To get by I danced and taught ballet, always working towards the goal of as far away as geographically possible.
Japan seemed to fit that description and I, with the help of Lions International, left as soon as I was able. While there I won first place at the Gujo-Hachiman dance festival, and the following year I was granted a summer to Switzerland before coming back home to complete Junior College, and eventually Berkeley. This was by far the happiest moment of my life and allowed me to get over my anger, which was quite a feat considering the fact that I started losing my sight and going prematurely bald having lost 47 lbs whilst at Berkeley being unable to afford both tuition and food. After graduating I essentially worked two full time jobs as a ballet dancer and a legal assistant gaining direct experience working with 18 global law offices. This encouraged me to obtain my MBA in [Redacted]as I wanted more international experience before starting Law School. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I ended up moving to my wife’s country of [Redacted], a nation which has existed for over 800 years but barely anyone has heard of. Having lived here is probably in everyone best interest that that remain so.
It’s probably no surprise to know that I am the first in my family to receive higher education, and probably even graduate high school. I grew up in extreme poverty, but managed to accomplish every goal I’ve ever set for myself. In doing so I’ve seen the world, both for its extreme beauty and misery. I’ve worked as a professional ballet dancer and traveled the globe alone twice before legally being able to even drink. In [Redacted], I’ve started and ran my own small winery for several years, and additionally have ten year direct experience in international law. I may excel at running, but I’m sick of running away and ready to come back home. The journey to now wasn’t easy, and the above was only a small excerpt of my life, but at least I can say my life has been nothing if not diverse.
