Throughout my life, I have always known that helping others would be an integral part of my career. My parents raised me with the belief that we must constantly strive to touch the lives of the people around us. In the second grade, I received the first reward of my academic career: my teacher Mrs. Horodowich presented me with the ?Most Likely to be a Peace Maker? award. In later years, whenever I began wondering where my life was headed, my mother would remind me of that award. She has never questioned her conviction that I will one day ?be a Peace Maker? somewhere and somehow.

During high school and college, I searched for my identity. I looked at many possible career paths, yet I always came back to law. It is the only profession that perfectly matches my personality and goals, and gives me the ability to fulfill my lifelong dream of making a significant impact on our society through civil service. A vast majority of Florida and United States congressmen are lawyers; the legal profession seems ideally suited to such a calling. I believe that God has molded me into the type of individual who cares strongly about his surroundings, and cannot be happy unless he is impacting those around him in a positive way. This conviction is deeply rooted in my everyday routine and in my overall life. I want to touch the lives of as many people as I can.

My burning desire to impact others has been with me throughout my life, but became most firm during my sophomore year in high school. I began serving in student government as the voice of my constituents. As time progressed, I grew increasingly comfortable with stepping outside of the box. I realized that God had given me a gift to speak, and that I could use that gift to benefit others. In May of my sophomore year, I attended the Hugh O?Brien Youth Seminar, which taught me how to think, not what to think. I quickly realized the impact I could have in my everyday life. After that short weekend, my life changed drastically. The leadership conference equipped me with new and unique tools that I could apply throughout my life. I grew hungry for more of these tools and ideas, and began to see law school as a place where I could acquire them.

Through high school and well into college, I continued finding myself. I participated in numerous extracurricular activities, including presiding over the Greek and American Student Association, joining the Hugh O'Brien Youth State Executive Board, and coaching various volleyball teams in the Gainesville area, all while holding down a full time job at the Home Depot and attending the University of Florida. During the 2000 Jr. Olympic Volleyball National Championships in Kentucky, I realized the fruits of my labor. Guiding the eleven fourteen-year-old girls on my team to success brought me a great sense of accomplishment. Through the year, sixteen hundred teams competed to enter this tournament, and only sixty-four were invited. Although our team was from a small town with a population of less then three hundred thousand, we somehow managed to finish ninth in the nation. When the last ball hit the floor, I looked up and thanked God for giving me such an honor. It was one of the greatest moments of my life, and taught me a lesson that I will never forget. I realized that my ability to motivate others could lead to great achievements. Law will definitely enable me to continue finding such opportunities. At first, I may be helping one person at a time. Yet as time passes and my aspirations become reality, I envision myself impacting whole cities or states.

The XYZ has offered me an excellent education, and XYZ has given me great opportunities to exercise my dreams. However, I believe that I would gain more from attending a smaller, more personal institution. While visiting XYZ in Miami, I found the small school atmosphere very exciting. I felt comfortable with the campus, and had a feeling of welcome. Bob, the admissions counselor, gave me a tour of the impressive facility. He made me feel at home, even though I had yet to apply. I was most impressed with the openness of the faculty when Ken introduced me to XYZ, who was very friendly and welcoming. I know that attending XYZ will provide me with the educational foundation to fully realize my professional and personal goals. I hope to make an important difference in society; XYZ will provide me the opportunity.