I am a fourth year Psychology major with minors in Philosophy and Sociology. In the past five years, my interests in the criminal mind have led me to an intense and thorough education surrounding forensic psychology. Now, as I reach the tail end of my undergraduate career, I have chosen law as my future profession. I believe that with the extensive knowledge I have of criminal psychopathology and psychology, I will be an asset to the field of law, fusing together two fields that are destined to collide. This statement explains how I have come upon this path.
I once took the advice of Dr. Walton, a professor of mine whom I hold in high esteem, and vowed to live with the motivation to �reduce my handicap,� simply meaning to strengthen the self by ridding human weakness. Since the year I met Dr. Walton, I�d say I�ve exceeded my expectations.
When I was a freshman in college, I had so many fresh ideas of what I wanted to do and who I wanted to become. While I had many goals, I was never brave or mature enough to act upon any of my pursuits. I would sit in the shade, contemplating the role model I wanted to become, and watching each upperclassman pass me by as they crushed my self-esteem with their style and character so incredibly suave and sophisticated. I would always think, while staring at my inadequate clothes and dull shoes, why can�t I be like that? Why can�t I transform into something so respectable? While on the outside it was clear that my aesthetic presentation was not up to their level, I knew that the real insufficiency was internal. Underdeveloped and juvenile, such reflections would inhibit me from taking the next step that would allow me to grow.
Although immature, my dreams as a freshman were well grounded from my experiences as a high school senior. Being highly intrigued by the developing field of forensic psychology, I received the rare privilege of conducting an intense, sociological study on sixty-three sexual offenders for which I was given the opportunity to present at the Virginia Junior Academy of Sciences. Spending more than six months reviewing confidential forensic files of these offenders and their victims, while also having the privilege to witness a live forensic evaluation of a sex offender and viewing another on video, I developed a disturbing understanding of the sexual offender, as well as a deep sympathy for their victims. This experience would bring me to the decision that I would live my life dedicated to the cause of keeping sexual predators away from society with efforts to ameliorate the sufferings of sex crime victims.
But, in order to accomplish my dreams, a transformation was necessary, for while my ideas were wildly alive, I was not yet complete as a person. Throughout my college career I would take little steps towards maturity. Through the support and unbreakable love of my parents, and the faith and challenging nature of a bright young man whom I will most likely share my life with, I went from the self-conscious freshman to a confident individual who not only works to �reduce handicap,� but one who seeks challenges, and craves knowledge.
Sophomore year, I would take my first step of transformation. I wrote a petition in defense for my professor�s jeopardized teaching position. Now Dr. Walton is considered a �Visiting Assistant Professor� as opposed to being an adjunct for the past ten years, and he has his own office, as opposed to sharing one with two people. In my junior year I founded the Forensics Education Organization, an organization focusing on educating students who are interested in a career in law, law enforcement, forensic psychology or forensic science. That following year I began submitting my political opinions to the university�s student newspaper in the form of cartoons, and the year after I became an official columnist. In my senior year I became a resident advisor, responsible for supervising over thirty residents who seek my advice and my guidance during their years of college experience.
In the three years since my first, I have become the figure that had once intimidated me: active, poised, bold, and respectable. I have transformed from being an insecure, scared student to one who defends her beliefs and others, one who stands up to lead and encourage her peers, and one who looks forward to the challenge of battles that must be fought.
I spent the majority of my four years here at Virginia Tech planning to use my undergraduate degree in Psychology to enter a clinical forensic psychology Ph.D. program so that I would eventually become a forensic psychologist, one who would research sexual offenders, teach, consult investigations, and support court cases. However, as time moved on it grew apparent that my passions did not only surround forensic psychology, but also public speech. I slowly began to contemplate a career in law and in the process came to know my great affinity for debate. With my grounded respect for ethics and the law and my deep understanding of criminal psychodynamic behavior, it became clear to me that my place was in the courtroom rather than in the research laboratory.
September 11th brought me to consciousness in regards to the rise of antisocial behavior. While for the past thirty years antisocial behavior has been escalating on an exponential scale, it was an event that so devastatingly brought me to a deafening reality. I was fortunate enough to not have lost anyone in the September 11th attacks. However, I did lose my sacred sense of security. I remember crying for nights, concerned about the world�s fate and my own, wondering if I would have enough time on Earth to make a positive impact on society. By the end of the month it was resolved: I would apply to law school to train to become a useful instrument for America�s justice system. I would fight to uphold truth and justice in a world that is often found in climax, and in a generation that had been sleeping and then woken by the loud hatred of antisocial, international and national predators.
My interests in forensic psychology, criminal justice and my strong compassion for victims of violent crimes have not at all diminished; rather, they have strengthened. I fully intend to integrate my experiences with my education and future career in law as they remains to be the fuel of my passions. The end-goal remains the same; the means to get there have changed. If I become accepted into your program, you will receive a very focused law student, one who is malleable to the teachings of your professors, yet rigorously concentrated on criminal justice, corrections, victim/child advocacy, the defense of ethics and morality, while also bringing together psychology and law. I am confident that my undergraduate transcript, letters of recommendation, and curriculum vita resonate the versatility of my academic interests and abilities.