Personal Statement for Professional School

The most interesting request a school can make on any student, in my opinion, is in writing a personal statement. I remember writing a personal statement in high school to hopefully cajole colleges into picking me out of thousands of hopefuls for undergraduate school; it was no day at the park. The hard part is telling a person who I am in a two to three page statement. Ironically, the difference between what I had to say in high school verses what I have to say after college has dramatically changed. In high school I though, 'what could I possibly talk about in a paper that's two whole pages in length about me?' After college I think, what could I possibly highlight about myself in a paper that's only two pages in length? But I digress, and happily take on this task.

As a child, there were two things I knew I wanted out of life: to be a great communicator and a strong woman in my community. Of these two desires, one I practiced, the other I prayed about. At the age of ten, I began practicing what I thought was a major part of communicating. I can remember tape recording myself reciting current events out of the business and law section of the Dallas newspaper. After playing the taped session back, I would re-record it until I heard myself pronouncing words the way I heard news reporters on television pronounce them. At night, I prayed that I would grow up to be a strong woman in my community. I considered my aunt, a member of the Dallas Police Department, a very strong woman and I wanted to emulate her. In my opinion, any woman bold enough to patrol the streets, earned respect and demonstrated the strong attributes needed to practice law enforcement. Years later I found out she was not a police officer, but rather she was a 911 operator who assisted police officers. That is when I realized law enforcement is not restricted to a black and blue uniform.