Hi, all. Can you please read my personal statement and give me some advice if you have some time? So far, it's received mixed reviews. Thanks so much.
What I've written so far is:
I used to become frustrated and even a little jealous when hearing that my college peers did not have to work to pay for their education or living expenses during college. I always thought that they were the lucky ones who were truly getting the full experience out of their college years. That is, I felt this way until I realized that my work experience helped me understand my potential for the legal field and led me to make this critically important decision. It was then that I finally grasped the full importance of my past work history. I have been working since I was fourteen years old and all of these jobs, no matter how seemingly insignificant they were, really helped me become a stronger, more intelligent, and dedicated individual. So, since I feel that my undergraduate record and LSAT score demonstrate my ability to succeed academically in law school and because I have full confidence in myself to be able to do so, I would like to use this essay to communicate to you, the esteemed committee of [SCHOOL], some of my past job experiences and how they influenced me to attend law school and enter the legal profession.
One summer, about a year before my father passed away, my two sisters and I were spending the summer with him in the small Iowa town where he was born. My sisters and I were less than thrilled to be spending our vacation in such an uneventful, not to mention humid, place and occupied most of our days chatting on the porch or reading inside our sweltering bedroom. One day, my father decided that I needed a job. I was fourteen years old at the time and had already been working at an Albuquerque amusement park during the school year, but he thought that any daughter of his should develop a strong work ethic instead of wasting a perfectly good summer. A few days later, he drove me to a nearby town and signed me up to be the only city girl on the corn detasseling team. Corn detasseling, as I was soon to find out, is a process by which an army of poor, helpless teenagers walk up and down an endless line of corn rows removing the upper-most part of the corn stalk. I believe this is done for some sort of pollination or reproduction purpose, but my life has been full of more interesting information since that point and I can no longer remember the exact details behind this torturous task. In any event, my father thought it would be beneficial for me to do some genuine field labor as he had done growing up, and I did not have a choice in the matter. On the first day, I reported to the corn field at 5:00 AM in my somewhat stylish jeans and a t-shirt completely out of place and completely unaware of the actual task at hand. I walked up and down those stifling rows all day removing those tassels until my fingers were raw, my arms were covered in scratches, and my entire body was plastered with mud. By the time I got home that afternoon, I was not happy. I wanted to quit, but my father made sure that I was at that field every day. Eventually, I removed the tassels so well that one of the supervisors promoted me to tassel-check. I left that summer with a stronger work ethic just as my father had promised. I also left with the determination to get a college degree so I never had to do any form of field labor again. Both of these lessons forced me to be a harder worker and a more determined human being, skills that have assisted me in college, in other, more intellectual pursuits, and, eventually, they will assist me in law school as well.
A few jobs, and a few years later, I was attending the University of New Mexico and working for the local community college's special services department. I worked there as a Reader/Writer, helping students with disabilities earn their education in various ways. I took class notes, read and proctored exams, and even occasionally recorded text books on to tape. Although my role in the educational development of these individuals was somewhat minor, this was the first job that left me with a sense of purpose. I always felt that I was assisting the students in achieving their goals and worked to ensure that they received the same opportunities as everyone else. I not only attended classes to make sure that my students had exceptional notes from which to study, but I also often became an advisor and advocate. Perhaps one of the most memorable experiences I had at this job happened quite recently in the spring of 2008. I had been working with a paraplegic student who was struggling in all of his classes. He talked to me on multiple occasions about his desire to drop out of school. When I told him that this was an issue to discus with his assigned counselor, he told me that his counselor was not at all supportive and felt much more comfortable talking with me. This comment left me with anger towards the counselor but it also actualized my desire and ability to listen to others and react proactively. Later that afternoon, I went back to the office and talked to my supervisor about what had occurred. He and I both decided that a different counselor would be better able to assist this particular student and, because of my close relationship with the student and my knowledge of his personality and needs, I was able to make the recommendation about which counselor my student should be transferred to. A few weeks later, without any knowledge of my recommendation, my student told me that he had been assigned to a new counselor. He was overjoyed with this change and quickly showed signs of improvement. Later that semester, he had pre-registered for another full course load for the upcoming semester and I was convinced that he would continue on all the way to graduation. This particular instance, paired with many others, convinced me that I needed a profession in which I could deal directly with people in an effort to help them realize their goals. And, although this student was very special to me, I always cared for all of my clients and I even stayed in this position a few semesters after I graduated college because of this strong relationship. Another positive result of this job was that it also ignited in me my first serious interest in the law. I became fascinated with all of the legal issues that surrounded the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 in an educational institution. I experienced on a first-hand basis the need for some of these students to have a legal advocate on their side, which influenced me to pursue a career in law and public service. In the end, this job left me with the practical knowledge that comes from being a part of an educational institution but also the desire to earn a legal education and obtain a position that will allow me to assist those in need. I hope to one day have the tools and resources that will empower me to become an integral part of a similar public service sector.
The final job I would like to mention is one that meant a lot to me during my university years. It is what I consider to be my first "real job" because it required a great deal of focus, responsibility, and independence. In this capacity, I worked as an assistant for a very successful and intelligent meeting planner. I heard about the position through Sigma Tau Delta, the university's English Honors Society in which I was involved. Many students, including Miss New Mexico, applied, but I was eventually chosen because of my past experiences and apparent professionalism. My duties included a great deal of research, professional writing, problem solving, and decision making. I was responsible for compiling summaries and proposals on a number of entertainment and location issues that were relevant to the meeting planner's various groups and associations. All of these tasks confirmed my academic love for research and convinced me that I wanted a career that demanded complex and interesting research. This aspect of the job paired with the occasional exposure to legal contracts and privacy laws further enhanced my interest in a legal education and eventually brought me to this application process.
In short, my employment experiences in various sectors have highly contributed to the person I am today, the person who wishes to apply to your prestigious and challenging legal program. They have shown me what it means to work diligently and with a sense of purpose and have strengthened my interest in working for the public good. And, although I would not have known it at the time, all of these positions have given me the upper hand on other recent university graduates who have little practical experience. I would never again envy those individuals who did not have to work their way through school. My work enhanced the person I am today and molded me into an experienced, conscientious thinker, a clear contribution to any legal classroom.
