Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Personal statement of 500 words
'As pertaining to the custody of the children,' the judge continued, 'the court
has decided that it would be in the children's best interests if full custody
were henceforth awarded to the mother.'
My mother then uttered a long sigh of relief. Although I was only eight
years old, I knew that I had just witnessed a life-changing decision. My
parents
had officially obtained a divorce. I had undergone a month of attorneys'
interviews, courtroom drama, and private dissertations in the judge's chambers,
so I then knew why my mother had sighed. My father's lawyer (or, as I referred
to him, the angry, loud man) had by far overshadowed my mother's more mellow
attorney, and this fact was reflected in the divorce decree. Aside from a
minimal child support payment and a division of the mutual assets, my mother
received next to nothing for ten loyal years of marriage. As our broken family
relocated to a small, two-bedroom apartment, I searched for someone to blame.
Although I was too young to understand the complicated legal proceedings, I
observed how 'the big, important guy' (the judge) seemed to listen more
attentively to 'the angry loud man.' When I asked my mother the reason for this
inequality, she said something about not having the same resources that my
father
had. So I was convinced that 'the loud, angry man' who wanted a lot of
resources
was the cause of my unhappy situation. For the next year, I repeatedly asked
questions about lawyers. While my peers were still insisting that they were
going to be ninja fighters or ballerinas, I proclaimed my future as a very loud
lawyer that did not require a lot of resources to do a good job.
As I grew and matured, I realized that my childish declaration would
require dedication. To adjust to my new school and family situation, I eased
the
transition with extracurricular activities. I especially became interested in
public-speaking, which was reflected in my growing confidence at school and my
outspoken personality at home. The jump from middle school to high school
shifted my attentions from 4-H debates and school elections to more in-depth
experiences. Sophomore year I discovered a rare opportunity in the Boy Scouts
Law Exploring Post. This group provided first-hand insights into modern law
careers and enabled me to directly experience numerous aspects of legal
medicine.
Enticing lectures from the district attorney, personal interviews with private
lawyers, and observational trips to local courthouses not only furthered my
interest in more popular, romanticized courtroom action, but also expanded my
interests to include the more practical applications of the law.
I have found within myself a passion for understanding and upholding the
institutions by which man attempts to govern himself. One day I hope to be a
productive part of the American justice system without losing touch of how
deeply
my efforts can affect a person's life. So now that I have established a clear
path to my goal, I must gather my resources.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Personal Statement
April: the month both 'Alisha' and I were born. That is the only similarity our lives have ever shared. Born the fourth of six children to a mom addicted to drugs, Alisha never had the opportunity for a childhood. At age eight, she was rescued by the Dekalb County, Georgia Department of Family and Children's Services (DFCS). Emotionally and sexually abused, she had lived a life nobody should ever know. Being removed from an abusive home improved her life, but her life could hardly be called normal. Over the next nine years Alisha lived in five different foster homes. She would experience but a taste of stable family life before DFCS would uproot her and force her to start over again. At age seventeen, Alisha's mother visited her, which precipitated a series of emotional problems that quickly erased any chance for another family foster placement. Once again DFCS moved her, this time to the Dekalb County Emergency Shelter. The emergency shelter, cold and unfriendly, is designed to hold children for a very short time until other foster placement becomes available. Supervision is scant, and consequently the shelter has become a haven for drug dealing and other illegal activities. Last year, a significant percentage of the deprived children housed in the shelter for more than six months were charged as delinquents for a crime committed inside the shelter. Alisha's clock was ticking. She had already lived there for three months when the Dekalb County Child Advocate Attorney's office appointed me to serve as her Special Advocate. As I do with all cases when a child is in the shelter, I started Alisha's case by looking for a new foster placement. She needed a home where she would receive the necessary support and services to help her prepare for her future. Contacting her caseworker proved to be no help; overworked and under funded she had no time to devote to a child that appeared to be safe in the shelter. Alisha's best hope rested in the judge. He could order her placement changed at her hearing in one month, but only if another placement was available. Before then I had to find someone or someplace willing to take her, a task made easier when the child is eager and determined to do well. A very quiet and shy girl, Alisha did not want to talk when we first met. I told her about myself to get the conversation started. When I mentioned that I attend Georgia Tech, a very uncommon and exciting comment came out of her mouth: she said she really wants to attend Georgia Tech after high school. I was shocked. To graduate from high school is a rare accomplishment for children in foster care, but for her to have her sights set on attending a top national school was beyond impressive. As we continued to talk, she told me she hated the shelter and would do anything to get out. I knew then she would do her part, but a stable and loving home and the support and services of DFCS were going to be essential ingredients in making her dream come true. I quickly began the uphill journey of securing the services she needed and deserved. I succeeded in convincing Deveruex, a respected group home with extensive mental health services, to accept her into its residential program. At the hearing, I advocated to the judge that Alisha needed to be referred to DFCS's Independent Living Program, where she would take classes to learn the needed skills to live on her own. In order to demonstrate to the judge the inadequacy of Alisha's care, I documented my frustrated efforts in dealing with an unresponsive DFCS. Overall, I stressed that to continue living in the emergency shelter would destroy any chance of the successful future to which Alisha aspired; it was imperative the judge move quickly to begin services to help her. Fortunately, the judge accepted my recommendations. To celebrate her new home, I took Alisha to my university's campus. It was an unbearably hot and humid day, but as we toured the campus the only thing she talked about was all the classes she wanted to take and how much fun she would have as a student. The sad reality is that it is much easier to rescue a dog than a child. Two years ago, I founded a non-profit rescue organization for dogs. I was alarmed by the high number of dogs being put to sleep in various animal shelters where we volunteered. There was a great need to rescue them and also educate the public about this unique breed. Over the next year, we established over twelve foster homes and succeeded in saving the lives of more than forty dogs. When a lack of funding forced us to combine with another rescue organization, we kept in touch with the foster families and still rescue and place dogs whenever possible. After dissolving the non-profit, I began my work with the Dekalb County Child Advocate's Office and as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). Through both of these child focused organizations, I have met and helped dozens of 'Alishas.' It did not take long for me to realize the importance of my work to these children, making the decision to devote my life developing and improving juvenile programs throughout the rural South a truly natural one. To receive an education that emphasizes serving the public interest, especially focused on children, is very important to me. With its strong Children and Family Justice Center and extensive range of courses offered in public interest, plus its generous Public Service Fellowship loan repayment program, [insert school name here] impresses me as such a school. Also, I believe my experiences in founding and running a non-profit organization, combined with my hands on work in juvenile justice, will allow me to contribute greatly to [school name]'s entering class. Thus, I apply to become a member of the class of 2006 at [school name].
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Personal Statement
The roots of leadership often find nourishment in the process of translating personal struggles into public gains. As a junior in high school, I was hospitalized for anorexia. An erratic diet and use of weight-loss pills had left me dehydrated and malnourished. Though I maintained a fairly normal weight, I was destroying my body. After three weeks in a recovery program, I approached my state representative with the suggestion that Missouri ban the sale of over-the-counter diet pills to minors. I had researched my position and found that printed Food and Drug Administration warnings stated these pills were not intended for use by those under 18. The few studies examining the effects of phenylpropanolamine (PPA) on children consisted of a combination of computer simulations and estimates based on drug reactions of smaller individuals. My representative drafted a bill while I summoned support from such interest groups as the Missouri Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and the Missouri Nurses Association. Their approval proved more instrumental than I had imagined; the drug companies sent a team of Washington lobbyists to Jefferson City to testify before the State Assembly against the idea of a high school girl. In the year it was proposed, a state senator translated my suggestion into a bill mandating instruction about the dangers of diet pills in all Missouri high school and junior high health classes. Despite a warm reception from most Representatives, the plan was not assigned a priority level high enough for the State House to consider it during floor debate. In the fall of 2000, after the third introduction of my proposal, the FDA suggested the removal of PPA, the primary diet pill ingredient against which we had fought, from the market. While I was satisfied with the resolution of my endeavor, I found that my work had left me with a hunger for further political involvement. Just as knowledge cannot grow substantially without examination of diverse ways of thought, one cannot fully develop her ability to lead without moving beyond her individual experiences. Issue advocacy comes easily to those who have been personally affected by the social ill they seek to remedy. While advocacy of increased funding for Alzheimer's research is an admirable endeavor for any person, those untouched by the disease would rarely think to dedicate time and energy to such a cause. True devotion to public service shines when leaders are able to recognize the needs of society beyond their realm of personal experience. Representative forms of government depend on the assumption that those chosen to speak for a people will consider the needs of others from different backgrounds. With this knowledge in mind, I began to branch out from the realm of my personal experience. I gradually stepped from dealing solely with eating disorder prevention advocacy into the broader spectrum of children's mental health issues. Through various experiences with public officials, I adopted concerns such as development of municipal infrastructure, public housing, and mass transportation plans. Over time I delved into more nuanced debates over ratification of an Equal Rights Amendment, the role of standardized testing in allocation of public school funds, and the constitutionality of federally supported faith-based social service organizations. The founder of Methodism, John Wesley, explained his personal spiritual enlightenment by recalling the sensation of a 'still, small warming in my heart.' I see the growth of my desire to participate in public service as that type of gradual development. Unfortunately, I have discovered that some people would have preferred my advocacy efforts to stagnate with my original experience advocating eating disorder prevention. Journalists interviewing me after I received a Truman Scholarship lingered on my diet pill story. Though I struggled to move beyond discussion of anorexia to explain my fervor for issues I have recently embraced, the promise of creating a human-interest story overpowered my insistence on being portrayed as more than my past. I found myself wondering what differentiates leaders who continue allowing a single characteristic to define them from those who move beyond a one-dimensional caricature of their existence. Former Missouri Senator Tom Eagleton admitted to receiving psychological treatment for depression. Similarly, Winston Churchill spoke frequently of his personal battles with the black dog of depression. While their ailments were comparable, the public received their confessions with vastly different levels of acceptance. Eagleton was shunned and replaced as a Vice-Presidential candidate while England entrusted Churchill for leadership through the last great war. Why were they treated so differently? A significant reason for the discrepancy lies in public opinion concerning the two men's coping mechanisms. Eagleton received shock therapy, a relatively uncommon practice; Churchill's 'cure' of physically building stone walls was viewed as more productive. I understand the stigma attached to seeking psychotherapy that Senator Eagleton encountered. Too many others battle the scandal and misunderstanding that frequently accompany mental illness. Currently I do not know whether a public defense position or an elective office will better enable me to serve those in need of relief from this oppressive attitude. I only know that I see a need and desire to help.
