Essay Category:


Essay Question:

It was a major essay and the question was rather broad. I believe it directed us to write about either any challenges we had faced or why we want to study law. 


The person I am today is the embodiment of the notion that an individual is a
reflection of their heredity and environment.  In large measure the successes I
have achieved and the person I have become are a function of my taking advantage
of opportunities and encouragement provided by my family and the values I have
gained during the life we have shared.  While a personal statement is expected
to
highlight the challenges, hardships and adversities an individual has endured, I
must truthfully say that while I have successfully met a number of challenges, I
have also been fortunate enough to avoid any significant misfortunes in my life.

 

My parents are not divorced, we are economically stable, I have had many
opportunities and privileges, and I have not had to endure racial or personal
discrimination.  I come from a loving family, which leads a rather normal
life.
 I am more than grateful for the lifestyle and stability that my parents have
provided for my brother and me. And, from seeing the hard work that it took to
give us a life of opportunity and privilege, I have always sought to turn that
privilege and opportunity into achievements and success.

Neither of my parents came from privilege, but they understood the value of
education and hard work.  Many weeks my father (an investment banker) would
travel four to five days, leaving him away from our family, and he would usually
have eighty-hour workweeks nonetheless.  My mother (a teacher) also had to
sacrifice in many ways to help build my fathers career, and then later
sacrificed her own career to care for my brother and me.  Seeing how my parents
created a life of privilege for our family through education, love for each
other, and hard work has shown me what it takes to succeed.  They have instilled
in me a diligent work ethic, and humbleness for which I am thankful.  

Because I know how much hard work it took for my parents to provide me with many
opportunities, I have always done my best to turn my opportunities into
achievements, and to take advantage of them to their fullest.  Academically I
received honors in middle school, graduated from high school with high honors,
and will achieve an honors degree from UCLA.  I have been taught, and
understand,
the importance of taking academics seriously.  Throughout my life I have been a
serious student academically and have consequently earned an excellent
education.
 While I have always sought to achieve academically, I have also been taught
that
my achievements are not solely limited to academics.  Apart from academics I
have
sought and accepted leadership positions and served as an active member of
student government as the Student Body Secretary in high school, and at UCLA
serving in many leadership roles in my sorority and the Greek system.  

My family also provided me with many athletic opportunities from a young age,
and I am very appreciative for my familys support and encouragement of my
athletic and competitive development.  From athletic competition I have been
able
to develop my physical skills, stay active, and strengthen my ability to work
with teammates for a common goal.  I participated in athletics such as water
polo, the swim team, crew team, and the golf team and through hard work and
competitive drive I earned many achievements.  I swam at the varsity level as a
freshman in high school, rowed in the number one ranked boats on my crew team
winning a state championship, and earned the number one spot on the golf team. 
Because I have been lucky enough to be granted a life of opportunity, I never
wanted to simply sit back and let these extracurricular privileges be wasted,
especially since I know that many others do not have these same opportunities. 

I have been extremely privileged to come from an economically successful family.
My parents have worked hard to provide my brother and me with financial
security.
 However, this never meant that I did not have to work.  Before I was old enough
to be employed I wanted to work.  At age fourteen I started a party catering
business with a friend called 'Party Angels', in which we helped clients
organize
and execute their dinner or social parties ensuring that everything ran
smoothly.
 Through successful advertising, and later through word of mouth and reputation,
we developed our business into a successful venture with an extensive list of
clients.  I gained additional experience working summers and throughout school
at
various jobs such as in a golf pro shop, in retail, and in a secretarial
position. 

Despite coming from an economically privileged family, I have always
wanted to work and try to financially contribute to my education.  However, I
held these positions to earn money, and to gain experience working, not to help
me with future career choices.  With my move to college I continued to work
throughout the school year to help finance my education.  I worked at the
on-campus gym because of its convenient location and flexible work hours. 
Later,
as my desire to pursue a career in law became clearer to me, I decided to gain
work experience in the legal field and volunteered at the Los Angeles Superior
Court.  From this experience I have had the opportunity to see positive
attributes I admire in lawyers as well as characteristics that have made me
conscious of what I would avoid in myself as a future attorney, to see first
hand
our judicial system in practice, and to develop the confidence to know that I
can
become a competent practicing attorney.  
	
My decision to pursue an education and career in law however was extremely
challenging inasmuch as UCLA offers multiple opportunities and extensive career
choices.  Until recently I was pursuing both a pre-med and a political science
major, which provided me with an intellectually challenging curriculum and
allowed me to keep my options open for future career choices.  By following both
paths I knew that I would have the opportunity to go to medical school, law
school or another graduate school, depending on what my ultimate preference
turned out to be.  In the middle of my junior year however I dealt with what was
for me a gut wrenching decision to solely pursue political science.  While I
knew
that I was capable of successfully finishing pre-med, I had come to the
realization that I neither enjoyed studying the pre-med curriculum nor was
medicine what I wanted to practice as a career.  Consequently, I discontinued my
parallel pre-med track to enable me to focus on what I truly enjoyed learning
about, which was the legal system and politics.  
	
Fortunately, I can say that the life of opportunity and achievement I have
shared with my family makes me extremely thankful.  My loving family and their
supportive environment enabled me to learn, to grow and to successfully compete
in a challenging world. My family has instilled in me a diligent work ethic, the
desire to turn opportunity into achievement, the ambition to succeed, and the
gratitude to appreciate my multiple privileges.  These characteristics have
driven me to achieve academically, athletically, socially, and as a leader among
my peers, and have instilled in me the confidence to believe that they will
continue to drive me to succeed in law school and become a successful practicing
attorney.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Essay question: You are required to submit a personal statement. The page limit was 2 pages, more than 500 words. 


I was ten years old the first time I looked through a telescope.  Before that
night, I would never have guessed that our family even owned a telescope, and I
had never given much thought to the night sky.  That week, my father read in the
newspaper that Saturn was visible just after sunset, and he decided his kids
needed an astronomy lesson.  My mother managed to drag my two brothers and me
outside as we whined about the heat and mosquitoes, and we watched impatiently
as
my dad set up the dusty three-inch telescope on our driveway.  None of us had
any
knowledge of the constellations, any star charts for reference, or any idea
which
star above us was really the planet Saturn.  We waited impatiently as my dad
pointed the telescope at one star after another until finally he stood up and
announced that he had found the ringed planet.
	
I don't know what I expected to see as I approached the telescope.  I had seen
pictures in elementary school textbooks of a bright yellow planet with striped
rings, but the star above me that my father claimed was Saturn looked just like
every other star.  I certainly didn't expect to see anything that looked like a
real planet.
	
When I squatted to the ground and squinted up through the telescope, I was
astounded.  I could see the whole planet, just like in the pictures, rings and
all.  It was right in front of me, a small, pale yellow sphere surrounded by a
wide ring.  I was looking at Saturn, in my own driveway.  This magical telescope
had turned a pinprick of light into a real planet, millions of miles away.  I
wanted to point the telescope at every star I could find just to see what it
would reveal.  As I stared in fascination, the planet drifted across my view
until it was almost gone.  I reluctantly stepped away as my father readjusted
the
telescope and explained to me that the motion of Saturn through the field of
view
was due to Earth's rotation.  The magnitude of the events I was watching boggled
my ten-year-old mind.
	
When I had taken as many turns at the telescope as my parents would allow before
bedtime, I wandered inside dreaming about stars and planets.  I was instantly
hooked on astronomy, and I spent the next year reading about stars, nebulae, and
galaxies.  Then, a year after my father introduced me to astronomy, I discovered
something even more exciting than telescopes and planets.  I began reading about
the history of space flight, and I became fascinated with the Mercury, Gemini,
and Apollo programs.  My interest in astronomy never faded, but astronomy alone
didn't capture the excitement of space flight.  I read every book and watched
every movie I could find about the space race.  I decided I was going to be an
astronaut, and I dreamed of flying the space shuttle and walking on Mars.
	
As I studied the space program more closely, however, I quickly realized I was
more interested in the engineering behind NASA's massive rockets than I was in
experiencing firsthand the acceleration they produced.  I wanted to learn about
the technology behind the Saturn V rocket, the Mercury capsule, and the solid
rocket boosters on the space shuttle, but I didn't want to ride in them.  I
wanted to be the one who designed and tested those technologies; I wanted to be
an aerospace engineer.  I was also eager to read about all the new technologies
that came from the space program, from housing materials and firefighting
equipment to hospital food and Velcro lace.  I looked at the Velcro flaps on my
backpack with sudden inspiration.  At the same time, I was excelling in and
enjoying my physics and calculus classes in high school, and I wanted to study
those further in college.  Aerospace engineering was the perfect combination of
my talents in math and science and my fascination with space and technology.
	
After three years of studying aerospace engineering at The University of Texas,
my talents and interests have only grown stronger.  Applying to law school may
seem like a departure from my plans, but it is really a step closer.  I want to
study intellectual property and patent law so that I can work closely with the
engineers who are continually developing new technologies that have the
potential
to improve the quality of life for millions of people.  The advances that have
come from the space program are just a few examples of the ways in which lawyers
and engineers can work together to spread new technologies all over the globe. 
I
want to be the one who brings Velcro tape to children's backpacks or safer
gloves
to firefighters.  Working closely with new technology is exciting and
challenging, and my background and experience in aerospace engineering will give
me a unique perspective as a law student and will help me to become a successful
patent lawyer.  I cannot wait to make my contribution to this exciting field,
and
I am ready to work hard to reach my goals.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Generic "Personal Statement" question. 


Sometimes I wonder if I've ever been honest with anyone.  I don't mean that I
lie, or even that I am necessarily deceptive, but perhaps there is a difference
between speaking the truth and being true.  Being true, in my estimation,
requires that one know something about his own character.  How else can he know
when he is false?  With each passing day, however, I grow closer to the
realization that my knowledge of my character fails to satisfy me.  So far, I
haven't decided whether this is a flaw.

In the past, I have described myself as an actor.  In fact, performing was so
central to my life prior to Cornell that I deeply regret not having returned to
the stage in the last three years.  Like a musician who locks away his
instrument, I put aside that part of my life to concentrate, I told myself, on
academics.  I truly miss the theater, and though from time to time I am bothered
by the idea that I could have remained both a student and an actor, really I
know
this question is a lie.  A catcher may be unable to catch without his glove, or
an artist paint without his brushes, but as an actor I am bound by nothing - not
by a costume, a script, or even a stage.  

I cannot remember when this realization first came to me, but I must admit it
has become both a comfort and a source of strength.  An actor, I decided, is not
merely a product of his role; he is not an actor simply because he pretends and
performs for an audience in a theater.  Rather, an actor is one who is in
control
of himself.  An actor is deliberate and conscious of how his words and actions
are perceived.  He is utterly aware of the scene in which life has placed him at
any given moment, and he is forever in thought of his role therein.

Certainly, this is an idealized definition, but I believe it has served me well.
 I've engaged in a wide variety of roles in recent years, and by concentrating
myself upon each endeavor I have been successful.  My role as a student is just
one of these, but there are many more.  Once limited to graphic design, my work
in e-commerce has increasingly placed me in the role of a salesman, often
speaking directly with clients to sell our services and ideas.  I have helped my
family to cope with my grandfather's Alzheimer's disease, and as an older
brother
I have seen my siblings through their transitions to high school and college.  A
different performance is required for each of the scenes that accompany these
roles, and to the extent that I am able to play them successfully they all feel
equally natural.  But by far the most foreign role I have yet had the chance to
play, and therefore the most exciting, I found as an intern at the Washington
D.C. bureau of Fox News.

Every morning I awoke in Washington I was either thrilled that I was going in to
work or disappointed that I wasn't.  The news business is a turbulent one,
changing every day and sometimes minute by minute, and I was excited to be
there,
feeding off the energy of everyone at the bureau.  I would be exaggerating if I
said there was never a slow moment, but even then there was an anticipation and
urgency that filled the air with purpose and drive.  Yes, I loved the energy at
Fox, but that wasn't the best part.  For me, going into the field was like being
on stage.  On dozens of occasions I had the opportunity to attend press
conferences, stakeouts, Congressional committee meetings, and other newsworthy
events ubiquitous in Washington.  Sometimes I ran errands; other times I went
simply for my own education, but the reason didn't matter.  As far as anyone
knew
I was a member of the press, with my notepad, ID badge, and look of purpose.

I cannot adequately communicate the thrill of those experiences except to
compare it to the thrill of performing.  Each situation was new and always I was
on my feet.  It was like improv in so many ways, only it seemed to matter. 
Whether I was treated seriously at the Pentagon, the White House, or on Capitol
Hill depended entirely upon my presentation: not just how I was dressed, but how
I carried myself, what I said, and how I said it.  If I could behave easily and
appropriately, I would be accepted even if I were secretly doodling on my
notepad
instead of taking notes.  The opportunities I had to actively participate in
those experiences, whether by mingling with the press corps or even asking
questions of government officials, were exciting tests of my abilities to
perform
in situations where I felt any display of incompetence or lapse of poise would
discredit me.

Some might argue that the stakes were not so high; really, what did it matter if
I were seen as just another Washington intern instead of a professional?  I
suppose it did not seriously matter, but that wasn't the point.  I eagerly
invented the challenge, I think, because it appealed to my notion of what makes
a
capable, well-equipped individual.  I have endless respect for those who are
able
to act appropriately in any situation, no matter how foreign; certainly, this is
an issue of politeness and propriety, but to me is also a hallmark of
intelligence, and I aspire to it.  Familiar circumstances are safe and
comforting
precisely because they do not challenge.  Whether negotiating on the phone with
small business owners to design their internet storefront, struggling to build
ranch fencing among cowboys, or traveling 3000 miles from home to attend
university, I have invited challenge because it provides an opportunity to test
myself in new roles.  Of all the enthusiastic evaluations I can give of my
internship in cable TV journalism, the greatest is to say that it was an
unparalleled test of my ability to perform.

The time I spent in the field and at the bureau was an incomparable education in
politics, the media, and not least significantly, myself.  Moreover, it has
helped confirm what I've grown to suspect about my character: that because of
its
adaptability and mutability, I may never fully know it.  Because each
performance
in my life is determined by the tests with which I am confronted, I am led to
conclude that my character is variable.  Accordingly, Ive learned that I am
capable of almost any challenge by adopting the strengths, attitudes, and
qualities needed to succeed.  This is at once a romantic, empowering, and
self-inflating manifesto, I know, but for me it has a disturbing side as well.
  
Like a chameleon that can't identify its original color, I am left puzzling over
who I would be without challenges through which to define myself.  As an actor,
I
try consciously to understand my part in every role I play, but I have great
difficulty understanding my character except in relation to those roles. 
Ironically, the dynamism and versatility to which I aspire seems to conflict
with
my notion of honesty, for I cannot but wonder whether the character I've adopted
for any given situation is in fact a false one.  Whatever benefits I've derived
from this versatility, I have also uncovered a personal philosophical dilemma. 
Presently, I am left with the unsatisfactory conclusion that my true color might
in fact be a changeable palette, capable of shifting its hues to meet any
challenge.  I'm not sure whether this should be cause for pride or concern, but
perhaps acknowledging it is as honest as I can be.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

General personal statement 


As I stepped off the plane and the sun glared in my eyes, I immediately realized
that my jeans and college sweatshirt were not appropriate attire for Mexico's
steamy July heat.  While the sweat began to cover my brow, I became acutely
aware
that I was thousands of miles away from my safe existence in small town Indiana.

Understanding the foreign language being spoken around me was a difficult task,
but despite my apprehension I knew that this was the first step towards my quest
for independence.  Moving to Mexico required me to leave the comfort zone that
my
parents provided.  Prior to this experience, the thought of actively partaking
in
the lives of those less fortunate had not crossed my mind.  My limited
perspective was the result of not being exposed to culturally diverse
environments.  From my experience in Mexico I have come to realize that I have
gained a new perspective, developed a stronger sense of responsibility, and
strengthened my desire to practice law, all of which will enhance my potential
as
a law student.
Before visiting Mexico, I had the misconception of arriving into a city where
donkeys roamed the streets that were filled with poverty stricken individuals.  

Upon my arrival in Monterrey on the campus of Tec de Monterrey, to my surprise I
observed what appeared to be a typical college campus.  It was not until
traveling further south outside of the city limits that I truly witnessed the
existence of a poverty-stricken Mexico.  While in that environment, I observed a
disparity of wealth that appeared to be impossible by American standards.  There
has always been the saying: 'The rich get richer, while the poor get poorer,'
but
even this old adage did not seem to capture the severity of the situation.  In
one area there were college students living comfortably with air conditioning,
running water, and various other amenities, while two streets away there were
families of seven living in a one room shack with an outhouse and no
electricity.
 It was very common to see several generations of one family begging in the
streets.  Filthy children would lie on the street corners starving while their
mothers begged pedestrians for pesos, and the grandmothers would sit still with
a
cloth over their faces in order to protect themselves from the scorching heat
radiating from the midday sun.  

The problem, as I view it, arises when the growing sentiment of the upper class
is under the impression that impoverished individuals lack in success because
they are lazy and choose to live the way that they do.  The fact remains that it
is very difficult to advance up the socioeconomic ladder in many foreign
countries.  In most cases an individual is either born rich or poor, and despite
socioeconomic membership it is plausible that the circumstances afforded to
future generations may remain the same.  In Mexico there is a noticeable lack of
social programs that adequately assist and educate the people, and the quality
of
education is wholly dependent upon one's social class.  Average citizens do not
receive a quality education and are not provided with many opportunities to
improve their well-being.  Witnessing the inequalities in Mexico allowed me
reflect on my native country.  Although I live in a country that has a strong
economic system, there are still individuals, such as those in Mexico, who are
uneducated and underprivileged.  I found myself having a strong desire to
advocate for persons who were thousands of miles away from my home, and even
more
so for those persons at home who at one time I failed to consider. I began to
see
how limited my perspective on cross-cultural environments had truly had been.

As I gazed out of the airplane window while returning to Indiana, all of the
thoughts, feelings, and emotions that were inspired by the past year of my life
raced through my mind. The desire for me to carry my new found passion and use
it
to assist others has become unwavering.  Since returning from Mexico, I have
been
working as a tutor for Hispanic children who have just arrived in the United
States from Mexico. Their lack of a strong educational background is evident as
they not only have to learn English grammar and reading skills, but they have to
review their Spanish grammar and spelling as well.  Although I enjoy tutoring my
students, my dedication to making a lasting impact on the lives of many directs
me to the study of the law.   I believe that it is a country's responsibility to
ensure that all of its citizens have access to a proper education.  A career in
law is an essential tool that will assist me in achieving my goal of working to
build a more egalitarian society.  I am determined to stand up for the rights of
various races and cultures that may not necessarily obtain a 'fair chance' in
our
society. Not only do I now believe that it is my duty to assist the less
fortunate, but I feel a strong obligation to do everything I can to ensure that
they are given the same opportunities that everyone deserves.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

The essay was a personal statement, in response to a very open-ended prompt, something to the effect of, "Tell us something about yourself not apparent from the rest of your application." 


In the third drawer of a rusty filing cabinet in the Arizona Daily Wildcat
offices sits a jumble of dog-eared papers and worn out notebooks.  I don't look
at them much anymore, but they're mine, accumulated over the course of last
spring, when I was a senior writer for the Wildcat, reporting on some of the
most
complex stories the University of Arizona's student newspaper has ever needed to
cover.  Over those four months, I wrote more than 50 stories on issues like the
40 percent tuition hike UA students faced, or the administrative restructuring
of
the university that will result in program closures and dozens of layoffs.  To
report these stories, I conducted hundreds of interviews and pored over dozens
of
documents, many written in the language of bureaucrats, and synthesized this
information into digestible bits for the Wildcat's diverse group of 50,000
readers to understand.

Journalism has filled the most significant portion of my time during my
undergraduate years, and as a result, I've learned valuable skills like deadline
writing and information synthesis that I believe set me apart from many law
school applicants.  Unlike many undergraduates, who have the option of spending
days or even weeks writing papers for their classes, I have been forced to write
often complex news stories in hours or even minutes to meet the deadline for
daily publication of the student newspaper.

I left the University of Southern California, where I spent my freshman year,
for Arizona, after deciding to save my money and get an education closer to
home.
 I dove right into journalism there, applying for a job at the Daily Wildcat, a
place that has been a second home for me over the past two-and-a-half years. 
The
Wildcat was desperate for experienced editors, and hired me off the street as
assistant news editor, a move that raised eyebrows among skeptical senior staff,
who had never seen a Wildcat neophyte be named an editor so quickly.  
I guess I proved them wrong, as it took me only a year to ascend to the highest
rung of the Wildcat ladder.  

By the fall of my second year at the UA, I was the paper's editor in chief,
leading a staff of 100 people charged with the task of putting out a daily
paper.
 
I put in 50-hour weeks at the newspaper, in addition to taking a full load of
courses. In the process, I managed to earn A's in all my classes, doing homework
during downtime at the Wildcat, and spending Saturdays typing papers at my
computer or researching assignments in the library so I could be free to focus
on
my important job during the week. 

During the year-and-a-half I spent working mostly behind a desk in my editorial
positions, including as editor in chief, I had a secret ambition to work as a
reporter, to descend from the top rung of the Wildcat hierarchy to the
journalistic trenches. I wanted to conduct interviews, write under deadline, and
explain complex issues in ways my readers could understand. So I spent last
spring as a reporter, accumulating notebooks and papers in that filing cabinet
drawer as I covered issues like tuition and the role of race in university
admissions. I recall one day during that semester when I was late for an English
class because I had been in a meeting with the university president, listening
to
him explain his plans for including race as an admissions criterion as the
university becomes more selective in who it accepts. I spent that afternoon
putting together a story explaining the president's ideas in the context of the
national controversy over race and admissions. The next day, I visited the
English professor whose class I had been late to, and he commented that he had
noticed my name in the newspaper throughout the semester. 'You guys do good
work,' he told me. 'There was a great story in today's paper about admissions
policies.' He hadn't noticed my byline that day, so I had the great pleasure of
pointing it out to him. 'In fact, that's why I was late to your class
yesterday,'
I said. 'I was with the president, doing work for this story.'
 
Since then, I've once again taken the Wildcat's top job, the first person in at
least 25 years to serve two terms as editor in chief. Working there has exposed
me to real-world work situations, and I've been forced to think critically in
ways that few undergraduates are. As I write this statement, it's been about a
week since I visited Huntsville, Texas, where I helped design a curriculum for a
master's degree in criminal justice journalism at Sam Houston State University.
In one day, our group of professors, professional journalists and student
newspaper editors turned a blank sheet of paper into a blueprint for a 36-unit
program for mid-career journalists and criminal justice professionals looking
for
a more detailed understanding of their fields. It was another exercise in
critical thinking that allowed me to understand the importance of being able to
quickly synthesize diverse ideas and opinions. 

As many people do, I sometimes doubt my thinking abilities. I've made stupid
mistakes in all aspects of my life, and as a journalist, my mistakes are often
public. Nothing's more humbling than misspelling a word in a front-page
headline.
But largely because of my journalistic experiences, my undergraduate experience
has been a journey of intellectual maturation, and I feel prepared for law
school. Anytime I doubt myself, I can look in that rusty filing cabinet drawer.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Each school asks a different question but all generally ask the following: Please write an essay demonstrating how you overcame an obstacle and how you will succeed in law school. 


I never met my grandfather; he died when my mother was a child.  When I asked my
mother about him, I learned that his untimely death led to her emigration from
China.  She explained that her family was poor and their loss made surviving in
their country simply impossible.   With her mother and four younger siblings, my
mother came to America with virtually nothing.  Lacking proficiency in English
and any high-demand skills she was forced to find work in a sweatshop, where
many
new Chinese immigrants find employment.  
	
Despite debilitating socio-economic disadvantages my mother knew the value of an
education and was determined to go to school.  She weathered the responsibility
of providing for her family with sub-minimum wage income.  She defied
discouraging words from people, including her own mother, and earned a high
school degree.  Similarly, when she expressed a desire to continue her education
she was met with words to the effect of, 'your family needs you to work' and
'girls don't belong in college.'  Nevertheless, she went on to graduate with a
bachelor's degree in mathematics from UCLA.  

But my mother's accomplishment did not relinquish her of the challenges
associated with immigrating.  Cultural disparities remained hindrances for her
and I have experienced some of the effects for myself.  My mother, and my
father,
worked long hours when I was growing up because they did not want their boys
growing up in an inner-city neighborhood.  Fortunately, as my parents worked, my
grandmother was available to look after my brother and me.  She only spoke
Shanghainese, a relatively obscure Chinese dialect.  Complicating the situation,
although they knew English, my mother primarily spoke Cantonese and my father
Mandarin.  Communicating with my parents was difficult because I had become
accustomed to my grandmother's dialect.  Complicating matters further, I started
school and learning English became a necessity, my parents refrained from
speaking Chinese to promote my learning of English.  Aristotle said that the
ability to speak set man apart from beast.  Reflecting on this perplexing period
early in my life - when I was not comfortable with any language - I appreciate
the
significance of his distinction.  

Periods like the aforementioned when I encountered adversity, I acted with
diligence.  My mother taught me this.  She instilled her work ethic in me, not
initially by telling me her story but by setting an example.  Moments when I
became discouraged by seemingly insurmountable obstacles, I turned to her
example.  I learned from her hardships and realized how fortunate I was to have
so many options, to be free of extreme financial burden, and to have a
supportive
family.  Admittedly, it took me several years to appreciate my position, but
when
I did, I was inspired.  I attribute much of my success, particularly in college,
to her.

But my situation was different from my mother's.  The challenges I faced were of
another sort and her remedy of diligence, alone, was not sufficient.  The high
school I attended had a gang problem.  A few of my friends were pressured to
join
for protection; others joined simply for the status.  Although I chose to
abstain
and dedicate myself to academics, it was impossible to separate myself from the
presence of gangs simply by diverting my attention.  I became alienated from my
friends and had to watch them become involved with drugs and violence.  
While persistence in schoolwork earned the respect of my instructors, I found
that it did little for my peers.  The quiet demeanor I had adopted was sometimes
mistaken for passivity.  I am not one to abdicate easily, but I am certainly not
foolish.  As a result, the way I articulated myself was determinative.  I chose
not to make any rash actions that would inevitably lead to physical conflict. 
Instead, I reached out to other students and found many similarities among us. 
We were minorities with immigrant families and similar experiences and hopes. 
Maybe I was just trying to make friends, but in the process I discovered that
most students wanted the same thing - they wanted to learn - but gangs or drugs
distracted them.  I found that I could guide and teach students, gang members
included, by establishing a rapport with them.  And as I formed associations, I
saw more similarities and I began to understand the plight of my peers.  Once a
disability of mine the ability to communicate and reason became a powerful tool.



I have the propensity to mediate through careful deliberation rather than engage
in hasty quarrels.  My experiences have exposed me to a variety of viewpoints
and
interests and have culminated in a liberal mind.   My mother's experiences have
sparked an interest in the Chinese-American situation, yet I am aware and
sympathetic to the conditions faced by minorities in general.  The story of my
upbringing parallels that of many immigrants, but this is not to suggest that it
is not extraordinary.  
I am at my best when I am challenged.  Law school is a collection of intelligent
individuals and I feel I will excel in such an atmosphere.  I believe my work
ethic befits a legal education and that the experience will refine my rational
thought process.  Although I am not certain where a law degree will lead me, I
am
certain it will complement my experiences.  In turn, I offer a distinct and
resilient addition to the student body.