Today I want to tell you the story of one of my students. He was a bully at school. And then some time after the release we met with him. And that's what he told me:
"Growing up, I was always just a joke. I played every sport from basketball to wrestling; and everything else in my life came in a distant second to being an athlete. Something about the poise and power being an athlete required resonated with me. I’ve had a competitive streak from day one, my parents tell me. At the ripe old age of five, I had my mother time me with a stopwatch to see how fast I could make my bed, and I was always trying to beat my best time.
During my sophomore year in high school, though still an avid athlete, I found myself equally drawn to academic achievement. I was a good athlete, but I knew I wasn’t going to the NBA, so I placed all of my competitive drive into school (well, maybe not all of it). I was drawn to the study of law by my older cousin Jeff, who just got his B.S. and is starting law school in the fall. Jeff was also an athlete, and I looked up to him when we were kids. He helped me get better in my chosen sports, and was just an all around good cousin.
The appeal of practicing law for me is very similar to the appeal athletics had for me when I was younger. Law is very competitive, and requires the same drive, commitment, and perseverance that becoming a great athlete does. Sometimes your opponents won’t play by the rules, but you have to find a way to beat them anyway.
The study of law is not just about ego for me, though. I also see it as an opportunity to do some good in the community. I’ve heard all the lawyer jokes, and I’m not naïve about what really goes on, but I don’t think you have to be an unscrupulous opportunist to be a good lawyer. I think there is some good work to be done within the confines of the law, and with the intention of actually helping people other than myself. Deserving people, not just rich CEOs trying to get away with milking the public for their own benefit.
Once I finish law school, I see myself staying right here in Colorado Springs and putting my skills to use to help make this a better place. Naturally, in the learning process, I'm very much helped by buy essay examples services. This greatly facilitates training, but this does not mean that I do not stop in constantly domestic and professional growth. I plan to practice family law; and though it may not be the most lucrative choice, it will allow me to feel good about what I’m doing everyday, which is a better feeling than just having a bank account balance with lots of zeroes on it.
Maybe I’m young and idealistic, by I think it’s up to us as individuals to make the world we live in a little better. I think it’s up to us to make choices in life that benefit others as well as ourselves. In spite of the stereotypes, I believe the law is a tool that can be used to these ends, and look forward to my education and career in this field."
Agree, it's nice to see when people grow up not only physically, but at the same time their type of thinking changes. Good luck to you. Me, personally this story made me think about my future.
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