<p>CCC GPA- 3.9 Poli Sci</p>
<p>I have no traditional EC, I was in the military for 5 years and injured while serving. I have only been out for about a year and will have completed 60 units prior to transfer. Also a single father.</p>
<p>Wishlist:
- UCLA
- UCI
- USC
- CAL </p>
<p>Personal Statement
For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by the constantly changing world in which we live, wanting to understand the complex web that intertwines us all. During my teenage years the curiosity grew as I started to focus on the world news, reading internationally recognized journals, and reading prominent magazines. That alone did not satisfy my thirst for knowledge; I needed to go out into the world to see firsthand what I was reading about in those books and magazines. I joined the United States Army in 2007, and in what seemed like only a few days I was witnessing with my own eyes what the rest of the nation was watching on CNN. It was my first real taste of International Relations. I was an individual actor on the stage of Political Science, having direct interaction with local political and religious leaders and seeing how they interacted with the people who looked to them for answers. It was a lesson in comparative politics, another sub-field of political science that I was learning in the field.
After leaving the combat zone and coming home, I quickly learned that pursuing a higher education relevant to Political Science would give me the tools needed to pursue a wide range of possibilities within the field. With the experience I gained as a combat infantry veteran, I was able to witness the connection between the United States government and the rest of the world. I believe that the knowledge acquired during my deployments will serve as a valuable tool in accomplishing my future educational and professional goals. My current career goals are to continue my education and attend law school, where I would focus on International Law; more specifically, I would like to take an active role in bringing war criminals to justice and providing assistance to those who have been displaced due to civil unrest, war, or famine. During my deployment I witnessed firsthand the fear that stemmed from local tyrants that violated the most basic human rights of their people. Coupled with a higher education, my experiences as a soldier will be crucial in helping me become a contributor to the world of Political Science, and more specifically the International Relations sub-field. Furthermore, I am passionate about the standardization and implementation of international labor laws. I remember distributing paychecks in Iraq for locals that had participated in a sovereign security program, it was clear that having an opportunity to utilize their skills while collecting just wages changed many people’s lives. Fair and just labor laws are vital to the success of developing nations, and I would love to take an active role in ensuring that the laws are not only being followed by the nations in question, but also by nations purchasing their goods or services.
While there are many events that have shaped me, I would have to say that my single greatest accomplishment has been going to college. Upon graduating high school, I believed that college was something that just was not going to happen for me. However, after spending ten years in the work force (half of that in the military), I realized that education was an important component of my life that was missing. I have excelled in my academics since returning to school and have been awarded Honors and placed on the Dean’s List. I have been able to apply the organizational skills that I acquired in the Military to all my classes. This has been a vital part of being able to succeed in my academics while carrying such a heavy course load. While I wish I could say that it just came naturally and that academics have always been a strong suit of mine that is simply not the case. Rather, I have taken my experiences in life and used them as a driving force to motivate me to work hard and accomplish my academic and professional goals. I have learned that hard work and a “never quit” attitude are key components to achieving success. Personally, I would like to believe that my greatest educational accomplishments are yet to come. It will be a long and difficult journey to complete both my Bachelors and J.D. over the next couple years. However, I am fully committed and prepared to dedicate the level of work required to achieve my ultimate accomplishment.<br>
Due to my experiences and the qualities instilled in me by my family and the military, I am confident that, whatever other virtues I may lack, I will never be outworked. I take pride in knowing that I have given my all in meeting every challenge I’ve come across. The latest challenge-and opportunity-is to become the first college graduate in my family, and I intend to accomplish that mission and create a higher standard of education for my own son and family. This is another rung on the ladder of life; I will take everything as I have up until now, one small step at a time. My accomplishments as well as my failures in life have not merely influenced the individual that I am today; they have created and are essential components of the individual that I am today. Integrity, honor, and commitment will continue to be the bricks and mortar that form the very foundation upon which I stand.</p>