1.

“The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future life,” noted
Plato, Classical Greek philosopher and student of Socrates, and I hope to live by those
words. It has been my desire to study law at degree level since the age of fifteen. The
subject fascinates me because it brings together moral, philosophical and social issues
into an analytical form to reach a conclusion, and of course there is no textbook
conclusion in law. Not only is the content of the subject intriguing, but the process of
how one can defend a position through cleverly advocating and arguing points.

I am interested in the fields of employment and European law. A recent case (Garside
and Laylock Ltd v Booth) considered an employee's refusal to accept wage-cutting
proposals when the company experienced trading difficulties. I found this intriguing,
not only in the legal debate over fairness, but how case law evolves to changing
economic circumstances. Laws can also conflict one another, recently on the legalities
of the Greek bail-out, this debate has been cropping up regularly in the news and this
emphasises the importance of the role of the law in the European Union.

I was one of a handful of candidates accepted into the Oxford Summer Courses. I
chose to study law and economics, and gained an insight into what it is like to study at
a prestigious institution as an undergraduate student. The course introduced common
law systems, case-law and statutes, whereupon I put forward my conclusions in essay
papers and one-on-one tutorials. I also conducted a deeper analysis of specialist areas:
the constitutionality of the death penalty, equality and discrimination law. As part of
my Welsh Baccalaureate qualification, I have examined how capital punishment
affects crime rates globally. This in-depth analysis provided a contrast of law within
different legal systems, and I found the process of documenting legal research and
statistics was essential to giving cogency to my arguments. The overall experience of
writing essays and studying law over the summer was intense and demanding;
however, it has been the most rewarding experience and has further whet my appetite
to study law.

I believe that my work placements with Cardiff Crown Court, Barclays Bank, and
Atradius Credit Insurance have been invaluable to my development. Particularly in
court, I learnt to differentiate between how law is studied and practiced, and this made
me realise that law permeates every aspect of our social life, governing everything
from agreements to disputes, wars to science, relationships to sexuality. As part of my
preparation to study law I have been absorbed by the books Darbyshire On The
English Legal System (Darbyshire, 2008), Letters to a Law Student (McBride, 2007)
and Understanding Law (Adams, 2005).

I am currently an elected Senior Prefect at my school and was Student Ambassador for
the Holocaust Educational Trust. I shared my experiences of a visit to Auschwitz
through presentations to the entire year group. Having spent my childhood in
Malaysia, and having lived in such a diverse and multicultural society, I became fluent
in Malay, Mandarin, Cantonese and Indonesian. I visit Malaysia every summer and
this helps to maintain my fluency in these languages, and also absorb culture as every
year Malaysia changes. This ability will prove to be hugely beneficial when coming to
study and practice law, particularly in Asian countries. Outside my academic interests,
I am a keen runner and ran the Cardiff Half Marathon in which I dedicated my time
and effort into achieving, the top tenth percentile. I look forward to tackling the
challenges that will arise en route to obtaining a law degree.
2.

Epictetus once said "only the educated are free"; and these are words that speak
something profound to me. Having come to England from Lithuania six years ago, I
am returning to education to expand my mind and give myself the freedom to achieve
something great. My first ambition is to qualify as a solicitor, but with a keen interest
in international law, I am also interested in the possibilities offered by careers in the
UN or the EU. As well as knowledge of our legal system, a law degree will afford me
the opportunity to think analytically and critically, and to gain an appreciation of the
philosophical principles underpinning its rules. This kind of knowledge is critical for
active participation in society: during my last school year in Lithuania, for example, I
led a campaign to prevent the closure of my high school, and I would have been
grateful of the assistance of legal knowledge during that struggle. Memory of that
experience is a great motivating factor.

A natural enthusiasm for objective argument and reasoning makes me well-suited to a

Law degree: at school I achieved success in competitive debating tournaments, and
debate taught me to view controversial questions in an objective manner. I enjoy the
challenge of constructing an argument to support a position that seems indefensible, or
with which I do not personally agree; and I believe that this skill, in addition to the
confidence I gained in public speaking, will be of great benefit to me as a student.
Through my love of reading I have gained the ability to assimilate large quantities of
information quickly and accurately, and I have a deep appreciation of the subtleties of
language. The precise nature of legal rules is dependent on the meaning ascribed to
the words that shape them, and I am looking forward to studying and discussing
interpretations of the language of statutes and case law. To prepare myself, I am
studying for a Legal Method Certificate at Birkbeck College, where I have focused on
the construction and interpretation of English law. I also undertook a period of work
experience at CKFT, a firm of solicitors, where the opportunity to witness legal rules
being applied in a courtroom further whet my appetite for university study. To keep
abreast with developments in the legal world, I subscribe to The Lawyer and Lawyer
2be.

I have always been a high achiever academically. Upon completing school, I achieved
excellent grades in all subjects in my Basic School Leaving Diploma. I particularly
enjoy creative writing, for which I have won first place in a national competition, and
I am proud to have been published in a collection of creative writing and a number of
Lithuanian newspapers. Beyond academia and writing, I enjoy music: at fifteen I was
awarded a Professional Piano Player Diploma, and I still love to play. I am well
travelled - recently visiting Singapore and Sri Lanka - and I am a keen linguist: my
native language is Lithuanian, I am fluent in English, and I speak conversational
Russian. I hope to expand my linguistic abilities further during my time at university.

I appreciate that returning to education, particularly to such a competitive degree as

law, will present challenges. However, I have good reasons to believe in my ability to
achieve highly. The skills and life experience I gained in employment have given me
perspective in evaluating my priorities, and an understanding of the world around me
that will enable me to conduct my studies thoughtfully and maturely. Having worked
in the luxury entertainment industry for five years, I have also gained excellent
communication and organisational skills and a strong sense of initiative, all of which
will help me greatly. If given the opportunity to ensure I fulfil my potential - an
opportunity I feel I have not yet had - I will work extremely hard to prove myself a
talented and dedicated student.
3.

Law has been one of the most relevant, interesting and necessary areas of life
throughout the ages- it has kept order, helped build civilisations and in the wrong
hands caused atrocities. While reading Lord of The Flies, the degeneration of law and
order and the island’s descent into chaos showed me just how important the law is in
daily life. In England and Wales the law often relies on statutes and cases from the
Middle Ages and its arcane nature is part of the appeal for me- The recent case of
three MP’s trying to use Article Nine of the Bill of Rights 1688 to privilege their
expenses and therefore protect them from prosecution only increased my interest in
the overlapping and contradictory nature of our laws.

My interest in Law has been long-held. I was an eager barrister aged 13 participating
in the Junior Mock Trial Competition run by the Citizenship Foundation. Last year I
again played the role of barrister, this time in the Bar National Mock Trial
Competition, writing my own cross-examinations and speeches; an experience I found
highly enjoyable.

I attended court as a member of the public over the summer, watching the trial of
Raymond Scott who was being prosecuted for the theft of a First Folio, and I was
fascinated at how the court was adjourned for half an hour while the barristers argued
over the defendant’s job description as a ‘rare’ bookseller. I have completed work
experience in a solicitors’ firm, and I intend to pursue more work experience in
barristers’ chambers in the coming months, to experience what life at the Bar properly
entails. Whilst there I took full advantage of the firm’s extensive law library and I also
attained first-hand experience of applying the law by assisting a paralegal. Both have
further heightened my interest in the law; coupled with my love of reading I feel this
makes me well-suited to studying it at degree level.

I like to keep abreast of developments in the law- I currently subscribe to The

Economist and I check Legal week and other online news sites daily- I have recently
followed DPP Keir Starmer’s proposals to introduce the US system of degrees of
homicide. Implementing this in the UK would appear to both simplify and complicate
the legal system, although third-degree murder will allow for a better distinction
between the intention to harm and kill.

My choice of subjects at AS give me a good skill set for Law- History develops
analytical skills, while English Literature has developed my love of literature into a
good understanding of language; interpreting meanings of texts, similar to statutory
interpretation. Politics has helped me gain a strong understanding of the context of
laws- an example being the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, passed due to media pressure
with an election due the following year. I have demonstrated my capacity for
independent and intensive study by currently undertaking the Extended Project
Qualification. I changed my topic to whether degrees of murder would be better for
the UK, as it gives me a chance to independently study the law in depth, alongside my
A2 course.
I am a hardworking and reliable person- I sat on the School Council for three years,
and I also attended the Sea Cadets for two years. The variety of people and
backgrounds I encountered while in the Cadets has made me friendly and dependable.
I also achieved the highest rank I could, showing my commitment to activities and
work I undertake.

At university I would like to expand my knowledge of civil law- my main interest is

in the criminal law, and a chance to study both in equal depth would be incredibly
valuable. I am currently particularly interested in defences to criminal proceedings and
the status of UK law with regard to the superior nature of EU Treaties and regulations.
A Law degree is vital to training to be a barrister and a strong degree is essential at the
pupillage stage, increasing my desire to excel at a renowned university.
4.

Law is one of the most multifaceted and thought-provoking subjects in our culture
today, and thus it would be a truly stimulating experience to study it at degree level.
Incorporating as it does vital concepts of fairness and justice, allowing nations and
societies to function efficiently, the aspect of law that I am particularly interested in is
the Human Rights, which I believe is possibly the most fascinating and far-reaching
development of law.

Representing the Model United Nations Assembly (MUNGA) in 2007, I was struck
by the cultural differences concerning the treatment of women in accordance with
Sharia' Law, which is often exploited in the most brutal way. It is this that led me to
read more into the subject, and I have since read about Human Rights in the UK, and
Islamic Law, both of which have proved to be insightful and invaluable resources.
Having participated in many debates in the Debating Society in school, my most
recent argument was 'This House believes the US is not ready for a black President'.
Taking part in such activities has enabled me to construct a logical argument, with
evidence to back up my case, both of which are vital features in the profession of law.

Having undertaken several weeks of work experience, my interest in law has been
developed further. I shadowed a barrister for two weeks after which I began to
understand that skills such as organisation and teamwork are as important as the
detailed knowledge of the law. In addition to this, my work in Jackson's Solicitors
during June 2008, gave me insight into conveyancing and commercial law. By
shadowing a District Judge at the Wigan County Courts, during summer 2008, I
gained an insight into the Civil Court System, and found out more about sensitive and
challenging cases, such as child abuse, domestic violence, immigration and asylum. I
noted how decision-making judges have to separate their emotion from their
conclusion, knowing their decisions will have a very significant impact on lives.

Studying History at A-Level has helped me to hone arguments, and conduct wider
research and analysis of evidence, which is something that I will undoubtedly find
useful in the study of law. Taking Politics has allowed me to improve my
understanding of law making and development, in addition to being a stimulating and
interesting subject to study. I have thus far read the autobiographies of Hillary
Clinton, Bill Clinton, John Major and David Cameron, all of which have allowed me
to analyse these figures of power from a different perspective. My study of
Psychology has given me a great insight into the complex framework of human
beings. From studying demanding topics like maternal deprivation to controversial
topics like paedophilia, this course has offered me an undeniably thought provoking
and objective experience, and one that I believe will be thoroughly beneficial in the
contextual study of law.

In addition to academic work, I enjoy reading about the economy, where the areas of
inflation, and rising prices not only intrigue me, but also are good topics for debates.
Being a Prefect has taught me the importance of teamwork and the need for reliability.
Having taken part in many different events during the school year, including giving a
speech to prospective sixth formers in January 2008, my public speaking has
improved significantly. I am also very passionate about charity, and helped to raise
funds for the NSPCC at Christmas.

In conclusion, I believe that studying the Law would be stimulating, personally

challenging but overall very fulfilling, as well as offering a strong basis for a career in
the profession for the future.
5.

I cannot remember a person in my life who has had a more significant influence on me
than my father. Everything I have achieved with regard to academics, sports, or life in
general, I am indebted to him for. His professional career, as a Pakistani and later an
international civil servant has been one of the main sources of inspiration for me to
become a lawyer. After serving as a senior police officer for many years, he received a
law degree and then a master’s in human rights law from London, after which he
joined the United Nations as Legal Officer. He has always advocated protection and
respect of human rights of all without discrimination and it has been his guidance and
mentoring that helped me decide to pursue further education in the legal field.

As much as I would like to disagree, it is a sad fact that there is little regard for an
understanding and application of the rule of law and human rights in Pakistan.
Incidents like the Sialkot mob killings and a sharp increase in reports of rape and
honour killings illustrate the insensitivities of our society and disrespect for the
judicial system. Ironically, the apathy of successive governments towards
strengthening the judicial systems has been deplorable. In the past, the judiciary has
been criticized for its failure to ensure impartiality, and this has remained a major
bone of contention because of the age-old power struggle between the democratic and
non-democratic forces in Pakistan. However, the resistance movement against the
illegal dismissal of the Chief Justice and his eventual reinstatement has restored the
faith of the people in the judiciary and in the due process of law. Its resurgence has
instilled in me the desire to be a part of the fraternity and become an element of
change in my country.

Along with my preference for legal studies, I can cope with the pressure of being a
law graduate, as I have studied both the social and applied sciences which have
improved my articulation, analytical presentation and interpersonal skills. Apart from
academics, I have completed an internship with an implementing partner of the
UNHCR where I was part of the internally displaced persons (IDP) registration and
verification team. The conflict induced IDPs had been displaced due to the army
operation against the Taliban / militants in northern Pakistan. It provided me with a
quasi-legal experience as the registration is a protection tool aimed at safeguarding the
legal and constitutional rights of the IDPs. In addition, I also interned at a locally
renowned English newspaper as a sub editor that helped me improve my writing skills
from an analytical and journalistic perspective. Previously during my ‘O’-levels, with
the help of a few like-minded friends, we created a welfare group through which we
sensitized fellow students, generated considerable charity, in the form of cash and
edible goods, and used it for the ‘special children’ of our school. Additionally, for the
last three years, I have been playing tennis at an amateur level, which helps me relax
mentally and works as a coping mechanism for stress.

Undoubtedly, higher education in UK is second to none in the world, particularly in

the field of law. It is equally important to acknowledge that Pakistan still follows the
legacy of the English legal system and hence the criminal justice system here is
compatible with the one in the UK. In the next 4 years, I see myself as a law graduate
choosing either to be a practicing lawyer, a prosecutor, an associate with the socio-
legal sector (NGO) or an academic. In any case the first step, an undergraduate
degree, will be the most crucial.
6.

Law is ever changing, whether parliament is passing new legislation, existing

legislation is being rewritten or the courts are interpreting laws in different ways. In
the case of Anthony Bland the distinguishing of earlier precedents was vital. The law
seemed clear; a doctor could neither end a life nor discontinue treatment, which was
sustaining life. Despite this the court ruled that since the treatment would not cure the
patient, it was not in his best interest for treatment to be continued. For me this is the
reason that law is interesting. It is not enough to just learn the law, it is important to
understand the rules, principles and policies that are fundamental to the subject. From
this understanding it is possible to read and interpret law in relevance to individual
cases. In the above case it was the opinions of the laws and their justification that
decided the outcome.

Although it is my genuine desire to do law I do not feel that my interests end here. I
am intrigued by many of the subjects covered on my current course as well, ranging
from crime scene science to forensic psychology. These have become crucial within
the legal system and knowledge of them can provide unique perspectives of a legal
case. This variety of approaches helps me to keep an open mind when forming
opinions, allowing me to consider opposing points of view.

As a student I have learnt many important skills including assignment writing and
referencing, which I believe will help greatly at university. Also, due to the nature of
my course, I am often expected to carry out a lot of independent research and
evaluation to achieve higher grades. My application of these skills is reflected by the
fact I have achieved the highest grade in each unit so far. In order to do this I have
needed to be motivated and organised, as well as self-disciplined to ensure I meet
deadlines. I feel it has also been beneficial that I have not been absent from a class in
the past two years.

At college I have also been elected as a student representative by my peers. This

involves communicating ideas and concerns between students and staff; as well as
attending meetings to discuss suggestions. This has helped me to develop my
confidence and leadership skills, skills which are also useful when working in a group
and as a class. I now feel comfortable taking responsibility for group projects and
helping to organise them. This has also led to me working with other students to
arrange an activity for the new students at the beginning of this year and hopefully I
will be organising a London trip in the future.

Outside of college I am a very sociable person, spending much of my free time with
friends. However I also try to keep active and healthy, regularly exercising. To me
though, it isn't what I do that shows my dedication and commitment, instead I show
dedication and commitment in everything I do. However, I am enthusiastic and
excited about the opportunities available at university. I am eager to take advantage of
these and intend to take part in activities I have not previously encountered.
Some people work towards university all their lives, knowing that the opportunity is
open to them; I'm not one of those people. Coming from a state school background,
growing up in a low income family, with no relatives that have even been to
university, it was never a realistic goal. However, I don't feel that this has impacted
my capacity to learn and I am confident I could offer real potential given the
opportunity.
7.
As sweat dripped down my nose and mixed with the dirt, I yelled, "I found glass!"
Glass is considered a rare find, and upon hearing my announcement the excavation
team stopped digging. Later, as I sat under the overhang on the laboratory roof
patiently brushing dirt off a pottery shard and reconstructing a pot from the shard, I
realized that archeology parallels the process of producing a paper, piece by piece and
note-card by note-card. I came to Mallorca, Spain because of my passion for
Egyptology and archeology. I was determined to excavate, and although Mallorca is
not Egypt, this was my opportunity to do so. I love solving puzzles — discovering
pieces, analyzing their importance, uncovering relationships and then utilizing the
information to produce a final work. An archeologist discovers an object; draws on
knowledge of the culture, materials available, and history to analyze the object;
deciphers its role and determines its value. Writing, research, legal study, and legal
practice share this process with archeology. Instead of finding a pottery shard in soil,
the discovery is information and requires research and analysis.

The challenge of researching and analyzing an unknown subject is the most enjoyable
part of academic life. An honors thesis I wrote on Colombian environmental policy
allowed me to study a topic about which I had been ignorant. I chose Colombian
environmental policy because my Latin American Politics class did not cover
Colombia, and I was interested, after writing about French and American
environmental policy, in continuing my study of different countries' environmental
policies. Colombia, however, presented a greater challenge than the other two
countries due to the paucity of available material. After the Colombian consulate was
unable to help me, I located one of the few experts in the field who directed me to
relevant material. I threw myself into a provocative topic, formerly unknown to me,
and transformed it into something about which I was knowledgeable. The process is
like discovering a shard, or if lucky, a piece of glass.

The Colombian paper also stands out as one of my favorite projects because of the
analysis and interpretation it required. The class analyzed events using a matrix
comprised of political, social, international, and domestic factors. The environmental
articles offered no obvious examples of reasons for the events; my analysis relied
solely on my interpretation. Just as archeology or a research paper require analysis, so
too does the law. It requires the generation of arguments and analysis of relationships,
facts, and precedents. The interpretive aspects of law and legal practice attract me.

Writing is much like replicating the clay pot; it conveys your conclusion. Just as when
the archeologist spends more time constructing the bowl from a shard, the more effort
and patience the writer devotes to writing the better he/she conveys the conclusions.
The paper I wrote for a politics and business class best demonstrates this point. For
this paper, research material was abundant. The challenge was to persuasively present
my arguments as a Ford Motors representative whose job was to fight environmental
legislation. All the information was provided; the true test was analyzing perspectives,
best utilizing and manipulating the facts, exploring various ways to approach the
situation, and convincing the reader to accept my policies.

In addition to my affinity for research and writing, my work experience has confirmed
my desire to learn more about the law. Currently, I am working at an Internet firm that
focuses on the real estate industry. One of my assignments, researching the possible
expansion of the company into the art industry, required delving into a field I knew
relatively little about. Through researching similar Internet art-related services,
interviewing presidents of art associations, compiling a list of artists and galleries, and
developing sales material, I was exposed to a new area. I enjoyed learning about this
unknown industry. The law and the Internet share constant variety. Since both are
evolving, they require constant research and learning.

Through my various jobs and internships, the breadth and variety inherent in the law
has impressed me. Especially at my current job, where my employer prepares for
heavier regulation of the Internet and new legislation regarding copyright, privacy
rights, and pornography, the law's omnipresence is looming. My work at John Smith's
law office exposed me to some of the realities of law such as the legal atmosphere, the
commitment and initiative required, and the diversity of the work. Whether helping
research, correcting dictation, or watching Mr. Smith in court, I was glad to have
participated in the legal process.

The thrill of discovery that I so enjoy in my academic and professional life partially
stems from my travel experiences. Whether traveling on a dirt road in Kenya taking a
pregnant woman to receive her malaria medication, observing the species Darwin
studied, visiting my grandfather in Italy, or submerging myself in French culture, my
travels expose me to different facets of humanity. My experiences on foreign soil
allow me evaluate daily situations as well as academic works from a unique
perspective. It was a trip to Egypt that fostered my interest in Egyptology which led to
my reconstructing a pot and drawing parallels between archeology and the law.

Three pillars of law school and legal practice--research, analysis, and writing--are
activities I enjoy. Whether organizing hard-to-come-by research on stacks of note-
cards or compiling data on dealers, art magazines and the like, I like discovering and
embracing a subject, learning about it in depth, and then applying what I have learned
through school, work, and travel. Law requires a constant commitment to learning
new precedents and digging deeper. Law will allow me to find the pottery shard,
analyze its location and markings, discover its purpose, reconstruct the pot, and
complete the puzzle.
8.

Fourteen grumpy doctors stare across an enormous oak conference table at me. It is
seven o'clock in the morning, and most of the group are still wearing wrinkled green
scrubs indicating they worked through the night. None of the doctors looks ready to
digest the extremely technical information contained in the eight studies stacked
neatly in front of them. My job is to present each study, review all relevant economic
data, and answer any questions in such a way that the audience will conclude the new
drug I am selling is better than the one they have been prescribing. One of the
physicians gruffly informs me, through a mouthful of Danish, that he is leaving in ten
minutes so I had better start my pitch.

During my two years as a representative for ABC Pharmaceuticals, I have found

myself in this unenviable position hundreds of times. To overcome the often negative
attitudes of my audience, I learned to clearly state my position and support it with
persuasive evidence, usually gathered from extensive research in the scientific
literature. I also learned to ask probing questions and analyze the answers on the spot.
Although I was one of the only inexperienced representatives ABC ever hired, I was
named their Rookie of the Year, the highest possible award for a first-year employee.

I originally took this position because I thought it would be intellectually stimulating

and take advantage of my scientific and business background. For the first year, I was
right--it did. However, in an industry where new products are developed infrequently,
I soon exhausted the issues to debate with my physicians. My job became less
challenging as I had to repeatedly remind the doctors of what I had already discussed
with them. Now that I have become one of the industry's top representatives, I am
looking for a new, more-lasting intellectual challenge.

My goal currently is a career in medical law. I feel that my successful work

experience and rigorous scientific training will allow me to debate with the best
attorneys. Since medical technology and the law in this area are developing rapidly, I
am also confident that this field will be constantly challenging. Although I will miss
my grumpy physicians, I look forward to the time when, groggy from a late night at
the law library, I will stare at my professor across a crowded lecture hall.
9.

The last thing I remember is falling asleep during a late night rerun of the Twilight
Zone. So when it happened, it was especially eerie, like I had stepped into a lost
episode, but Rod Serling was nowhere in sight; for moment, neither was anybody else.
At 4:31 AM a merciless shove pushed me off my bed. I crawled on the floor, trying to
escape the cruel, uncontrollable shaking, but it followed me. It followed me down the
stairs and underneath the dining room table where my family joined me. Little did I
realize that before the morning sun rose again, I would see everything differently.

My world changed. The 6.7 earthquake which crippled the Northridge area on January
17, 1994 rattled and ripped apart the fibers of security in our neighborhood. Our home
was ruined; smashed glass, crumbled walls, and the lack of electricity, gas, and water
made it uninhabitable. Without basic utilities, we slept and "lived" in our car for nine
days while guarding our home from looters.

The damage was everywhere. A personal landmark, the Granada Hills Kaiser
Permanente Medical Center, collapsed. The site where I had volunteered as a teen
advisor — lobbying for and improving the quality of the teen health clinic while
working one-on-one with underprivileged, problem teenagers — no longer existed.
Only an empty lot and the memory of a valuable and productive medical and
psychological outreach program for troubled youth remained.

As much as Northridge and its surrounding regions changed externally, so did the
lives of the victims internally. Following this traumatic experience, I developed a keen
awareness of the fragility of life and a newly restored appreciating for the simplest of
my old comforts. As vulnerable and edgy as I was with every aftershock that rolled
through the area, I consoled myself with reminders of how we were spared.

With a profound sense of gratitude for our relative good fortune, within weeks of the
initial quake I volunteered at the American Red Cross Earthquake Relief Center. As
my family and I rebuilt our home and our lives, I translated for Iranian earthquake
victims and performed various clerical tasks. Yet, my most valuable contribution to
the earthquake relief team stemmed from the moral support I was "qualified" to
provide. With my earthquake experience, I was able to comfort the teary-eyed victims
who approached us for help. I gave them the hope and understanding they sought from
a primarily out-of-state staff. I benefited too: My work for the Red Cross aroused my
curiosity in public interest law.

I had the opportunity to explore this new interest in the summer when I interned in
Washington D.C. for Congressman Howard P. ("Buck") Smith of California. That
summer I was responsible for attending meetings and informing the Congressman's
staff of the issues discussed. One of the issues I followed dealt with a proposed
guideline to prohibit religious expression in the workplace due to its allegedly
offensive nature. Defining such acts as wearing a Star of David or praying silently
before a meal as "religious harassment," the bill attempted to equate these acts with
verbal or sexual harassment.

Still the most fulfilling experience of my internship was serving the Mr. Smith's
constituents when they wrote, called, or visited our Washington office. Their concerns
covered many issues, including city maintenance and the enforcement of FCC
regulations on local radio stations; yet, most cries for help grew out of the January 17
disaster.

My experience in the earthquake proved to be useful in my internship. After all, I was

working with Mr. Earthquake himself. As the only intern from Northridge, I was
assigned to the Earthquake Project. I acted as a liaison between constituents and the
Small Business Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and other
governmental agencies that handled quake reconstruction monies. Because of my
experience, I was again able to empathize with victims in a way that neither the staff
nor the other interns could. As a result of my work, I gained a more profound grasp of
the legal process and how it was able to help Northridge residents with their post
earthquake problems.

The January 17 earthquake dramatically changed my world — both inside and out. In
the Red Cross shelter and in Congressman Smith's office, my career ambitions took
shape: Public interest law grabbed me. Now I want to help those who cannot purchase
legal services, not only by providing the empathy gained during my own trying
experiences, but also by using the skills and knowledge I will acquire at the ABC Law
School. With this preparation, I look forward to helping others escape their legal or
bureaucratic "twilight zones."
10.
Change has been the one constant in my life. While staring out at the bleak Wisconsin
winter, I think back to my beginnings on a warm tropical island. The biggest change
was probably the first — moving from that buzzing Spanish-speaking isle to the
sleepy sea-side town that was Tampa in 1978. It took me some time to realize that the
other pre-schoolers could not understand my native tongue. Before long, I too was
speaking their language.

Five years later I, an excited eight-year-old girl, boarded a school bus in New Jersey.
The excitement quickly turned to fear as I heard rampant swearing in the back of the
bus. I was truly shocked when the bus driver did nothing to stop the vulgarity. In my
schools in Florida such behavior would have met with a bar of soap and a visit to the
principal’s office. A year later, I had a "Jersey" accent, and had started swearing too.

After nine years my family then moved to a place called "a whole ’nother country":
Texas. I discovered that everything is bigger in Texas, from the size of a glass of ice
tea to the distances on the road. My mother added barbecued brisket to the regular
menu of turkey and Idaho potatoes on Monday and arroz con pollo on Tuesday. The
incredibly friendly Texans, wearing cowboy boots and going to high school football
games on Friday nights, seemed a totally different breed from my friends in New
Jersey. A slight drawl entered my speech.

In two years time, I found myself in the mountains of rural Bolivia. As part of a team
of doctors and students researching hypertension on a group of African-Bolivian
villagers, I quickly learned a new vocabulary that included medical and
anthropological terms. The greatest test of my linguistic abilities came when a villager
accused me of drinking blood samples in some kind of vampire-like witchcraft ritual. I
had to bridge a vast cultural gulf to explain a DNA isolation and analysis protocol in
Spanish to someone who had never heard of a gene much less a double helix.

A year later I stood in a line at a McDonalds outside Buenos Aires asking for
a sorbeto with a Puerto Rican accent and receiving a blank stare in return. I did not
realize that in Argentina the word for straw was papote. Working at the U.S. embassy,
I could clearly see the obvious differences between the U.S. and Argentina, but being
out among the people and actually experiencing the culture helped me begin to
understand and appreciate the subtle differences which, when taken together, make up
a people.

Each place I have lived has its differences, from the obvious distinctions of Wisconsin
and Texas weather, to the regional variations of the Spanish language. I bring with me
wherever I go a part of those places and the impact they have had on my life, most
evident to others by the variations in my speech. Beneath all the accents, however, lies
something more significant, for I believe who you are is immeasurable more
important than where you were. When I was younger, I could not clearly discern
between situations where I should or should not adopt the ways of those around me.
With maturity however I have come to understand the crucial difference between
adaptation and assimilation. I have chosen to reject the vulgarity of the New Jersey
school bus; I have also adopted the Texans’ warm and friendly manner. Having
experienced frequent moves to very different surroundings, I can adapt without
compromising what is important to me while learning from each new setting.

A sign hung in my garage for many years that said, "Home is where you can scratch
where it itches." To me this means that home is wherever you are comfortable and
secure with yourself and your surroundings. I will be at home and prepared to meet
new challenges wherever I am. Starting over so many times has taught me not to fear
failure, but rather to embrace opportunities for change.