Educational Background May Be Seen

¶ … educational background may be seen as a disadvantage. I did not take the traditional road upon graduation from high school. At that time I was not really sure what I wanted to do with the remainder of my life and I did not want to spend four years in college spending money that I did not have finding out so I entered the service. Doing so provided me with the time I needed to examine my life options but it also proved to be an enriching experience.

I grew up in small town America and, as a result, graduated from high school with little idea about the rest of the world. My views were quite parochial in that I believed that the American way was the only way and that the rest of the world should follow America's example. Through my experience in the military and my deployments to Iraq and Kuwait, however, I learned that other approaches and other viewpoints had merit and that my beloved America did not necessarily have all the answers.

I returned to the United States and my civilian life with a new appreciation for other cultures and a determination to somehow make a difference. I was still unsure precisely what I wanted to do with my life but I knew that obtaining an education was now a priority for me. I wish I could say that I immediately completed my military service and then entered and completed my undergraduate education; however, this would have been too easy.

I had saved very little during my three (3) years in the military and when I explored my educational options I soon learned that attending school on a full-time basis was not going to be possible but I remained determined. This determination served me well over the next nine (9) years as I worked to complete my undergraduate education and prepare myself for my professional career. Over those nine (9) years, I worked at a number of different jobs that provided me with valuable experience and insight.

The importance of education was reinforced in me as I worked at low paying jobs and worked long hours in order to afford school while still supporting myself. The urge to give up on my dream was always present but somehow I managed to persevere. The driving force for me throughout the nine (9) year period that became my undergraduate education was my experience in Iraq and Kuwait.

While I was there I witnessed first-hand how even people who have known nothing but oppression and poverty their entire lives still possess an innate desire for fairness and security. I recognized that, even though I had grown up in America with few financial advantages, fairness and security were an always present part of my life and that it was America's legal system that provided these advantages.

As I worked my way toward obtaining my Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, I began dreaming of becoming a part of that system in order to provide for others the same sense of fairness and security that I had always enjoyed. As I earlier indicated, I am not a traditional student. I am not a 22-year-old fresh out of college. My journey to this point has been a long and arduous one but it has also been one that has prepared me well for the tasks that lie ahead.

I am not easily discouraged and I will not be denied. Against great odds I have managed to bring myself.