I realize I have connection issues with a paragraph or so.. this is just a rough draft so i can see if im really on the right track. Any help is appreciated! Thanks!!
The statement of purpose will provide an opportunity to explain any extenuating circumstances that you feel could add value to your application. You may also want to explain unique aspects of your academic background or valued experiences you may have had that relate to your academic discipline. The statement of purpose is not meant to be a listing of accomplishments in high school or a record of your participation in school-related activities. Rather, this is your opportunity to address the admissions committee directly and to let us know more about you as an individual, in a manner that your transcripts and other application information cannot convey.
Growing up on a ranch in the middle of nowhere, I was always outside; either by choice or forced by increasingly annoyed parents. My cousins and I would venture throughout my parent's property in search of new and interesting finds. This was my first experience with geology. The fossils and various rocks we discovered intrigued me, and it sparked my love affair with science. I can still recall the hours I spent staring and examining the world around me, a world that has been changing immensely ever since.
As is clearly evident, there is a problem in Texas today, drought. Specifically, this is the worst drought in (YEARS). With the low rainfall, the fear of running out of water is always in the back of my mind. For example, my mother is currently having problems watering her dying plants. After thirty minutes of using a sprinkler, the water pressure simply disappears. Not only is loss of water due to drought and changing weather conditions as matter to keep in mind, the growing garbage makes for a disaster to the earth. Thus, with these problems facing the earth today, I try daily to make a small difference.
After having my daughter in 2009, it hit me that she would inherit this planet from my generation. This reality caused me to rethink everything I do. In order to set a good example for my daughter, I began the habit of recycling. Not only do I recycle, but also I utilize more reusable items (water bottles, rags for cleaning, etc.) and clean only with natural cleaners. This is a small change in my life, but I believe it will have a big impact on the earth's future. Not only do I personally live more "green," I constantly advocate how to live environmentally friendly to others and help in anyway I can with implementing new measures of green living. In one instance, while living in Huntsville and attending Sam Houston State University, I took it upon myself to request that the apartment complex I lived at to start a recycling program. Though not as extensive as I would have liked, they did send emails and door notices to residents, encouraging them to take time to recycle.
All of my simple actions are nothing without a degree in geology. The ability to further study the subject I enjoy so much would be a great honor. It would allow me the opportunity to aide further in the protection and better use of the planet we inhabit. My favorite quote, "We do not inherit the Earth from out ancestors: we borrow it from our children," says it all, and I plan to take care and educate other individuals on the importance of this matter.
Not only would I bring intelligence and eagerness to learn to the campus, I will bring innovativeness and action, such like with my former apartment complex, but I hope on a much wider scale. For a subject that I care so deeply about, I am excited at the opportunity to make it my life's goal to help sustain our planet.
I am not simply a student, nor am I the typical student. I am a wife and mother. In attending the university, I will bring a different viewpoint on issues because of my differences and prior experiences. I have already gained one bachelors degree, in Political Sciences, which further opened my mind to the different cultures of the world and differences within people in general. The degree also allowed me to visit similarities. The most valuable resource I gained through this first degree was the ability to recognize those differences and similarities and help bring people together under common goals.
Like I mentioned previously, I have an open mind for just about everything. I believe my ability to separate myself from certain situations and think rationally for both sides gives me an invaluable quality that will further diversify the expereience of fellow students at the University of Texas. During my college career, I was not presented with many students with my same viewpoints. I felt alone during that time. However, as the years progressed, I was able to form a strong, certain, and determined voice of my own. Which turns out to be another invaluable quality.
I do not believe my first degree was a mistake in any respect. However, I do believe that it is not for me. I do not want to build a future in politics or government administration. I want to build a career in science, specifically, geoscience. I remember a certain bit of advice a professor once gave me, "If you can't picture yourself doing something for the rest of your life, don't do it. If you can, then it's probably for you." I always think back to that piece of advice and now have decided to do something about it.
I was raised to be an honest person. I was raised to be a straightforward person. To be blunt and honest, I want to attend the University of Texas at Austin. It would not only fulfill my dreams, it will allow me to help other dreams come true as I help sustain the earth through a rewarding career in geology.
