Like many young adults, I went into college with much of my life already planned out for me. A lot of us follow goals and expectations that are not our own, make choices forced upon us by other people’s ambitions, and realize we are going nowhere and inevitably lose our drive. It certainly was the case with me: a young girl who knew she was meant for great things, but had to follow a tailored path graciously laid out for me by well-meaning parents.
My parents are both well-respected in the medical field, my father as a surgeon and my mother a pediatric specialist. As the child of such brilliant individuals, I was naturally expected to be an overachiever in all aspects – academics, student groups, and sports. These expectations spurred me to make the most of my early education, actively joining the debate team, the school newspaper, and the basketball team throughout my four years of high school. My parents taught me to think competitively, and with that mindset I graduated on top of my class and got special honors for representing my city in the state athletic meets.
When it came time to go to university, I had the fortunate experience of being accepted in all of the schools I’ve applied to, and most of these were known for their medical courses. In between sports, the pre-med students’ association, and the biology classes my parents had carefully chosen for me, I lost the ability to keep up the juggling act. When my second semester grades turned out less than satisfactory, I knew that my parents, for the first time, had made the wrong choice for me.
After my first year in college, I returned home for the summer vacation and planned to tell my parents that I will be switching majors – from Biochemistry to Government or Public Administration, which will hopefully serve as my pre-law course. It meant defying the rules that have gotten me so far. But I reminded myself that those same rules came close to pulling me down and ruining any hopes I had of a good future. I joined relevant school organizations, including the Pre-Law Society, and became active in various community programs. Before I knew it, I had gotten my drive back and was hitting the books with fervor, although with a different field of study this time. I even got back into sports and coached a local youth basketball team.
I graduated with honors and immediately found employment at a regional trial court as a court clerk. But while it may help my application, it is my experience with local communities that make me confident I can make it in law school. Working with kids less privileged than I am has inspired me to make the most of what I was given. My parents may have gone overboard by choosing my major, but they genuinely want the best for me, and I still want to make them proud. More importantly, I want to be instrumental in promoting good education to children in small communities. I believe that an education at the _____ School of Law can put me in a better position to achieve that.
Photo credits: MGSpiller
