I want to be a trial attorney in the criminal justice field. Law is very interesting to me. Even from a young age, I had a love and skill for arguing (Much to the dismay of my parents). I love being able to prove people wrong or why I’m correct, and while this can be annoying to others, it is a big part of my personality. My first experience with law came when I was in eighth grade history. We had to do a mock trial for a made up scenario, with us in the class acting as the lawyers, jury, witnesses, etc. I got to be a prosecution lawyer in this mock trial, and won the case even though all of the evidence pointed to them being innocent. I really enjoyed doing the research and looking through the files the teacher gave us trying to find evidence for my “client”. From this experience I learned that a career in law is something that I would really enjoy. I want to be able to prove that the people we throw in jail are really guilty, or prove that they are innocent if they are. Around 5% of all inmates are really innocent of the crime they were convicted of. This means that 1/20 people are being held for a crime they didn’t commit while the actual perpetrator is walking free. I want to help ensure that the people being thrown in jail are really the ones committing the crime. This means that hopefully those in jail are really criminals. I want to make a difference in these people's lives. I want to allow them to remain with their families instead of rotting away for something they didn’t even do. I believe that society would be a much better place if we knew that those in jail are really the ones responsible for the crimes. I believe that everyone should get a fair trial so that if they are guilty they are punished, but if they are innocent they are released. This is a major issue in society, especially when it comes to race. I think that someone being arrested should be based on evidence. While there will of course be those who are incorrectly arrested, I know that I can make an impact in the lives of people through law. I want to help people and know that through law this is possible. I want to be a lawyer to help people, and because it is a career that I am passionate about and would love to do as a job.

I lost my Mother when I was 9 years old to stage 4 cancer. She always loved sports and was very supportive of my love for them. When I lost my mom I bottled up all of my anger and would release it through yelling. It was hard for me to face what had really happened, and I went through a denial phase. I played baseball when I was younger and her death made me stop playing. It was hard for me to play without my mom there. She always went out of her way to support me and attend every game. I have faced many challenges in my life. Because I was angry and would yell I would get into trouble a lot. Losing my mom left a hole in me that I wasn’t able to fill for years, and still isn’t full. Luckily for me, I have been blessed with a wonderful step mom and siblings. They have always been there for me and my siblings are some of my best friends. When I became a high schooler I chose to join the football team. My mom always made it clear she would support every sport I played, but football was never her top choice. I love football and know that she would have been there for every game if she could have. Playing football has enhanced my life by helping me learn self control, become part of something bigger, and make friends. I truly believe that football is a great way to learn discipline and teamwork. It has really given me something that I always look forward to every day. Even though football is a very physically demanding sport, I have learned so much from playing it. I have gotten stronger, smarter, and faster because of all of the working out and running we do. It has helped me become a better person physically, emotionally, and mentally. Because of football I have learned how to work with others, and I love to help others improve at whatever they love. Whether it is dancing, soccer, or art, I love to help others pursue their goals. I try to pay what I have learned forward and I have learned how to move on through tragedy. I have learned to not use my mother’s death as an excuse, but rather as motivation. I always tell myself that I know my mom would be proud, and I know she would be. She was a very kind person and I try to be like her. I think that using tragedy as motivation is one of the very best methods of motivation there is. You hear all the time about athletes having the game of their lives when a loved one passes. The important thing is that you don’t let it hinder you, but that you use it to motivate yourself. You can create triumph out of tragedy if you let yourself. I create it by remembering my mother and by performing well for her. I know that my mom is watching me still, and I know I’ve made her proud.