Dreams change, drive gets stronger by Danielle

Dreams change, drive gets stronger by Danielle - June 2017 Scholarship Essay

Who would ever of thought that at 6 years old we would be making any type of life goals that would actually matter to us later on? At that age, children should be playing games, making mud pies, fighting with their siblings, and just plain being carefree. I was unsure if I even had “goals” at that age except not to throw up on the bus and not to forget my lunch in the morning. So, what was it that at 6 years old makes us so sure we know what to shoot for?
That time of my life was a little turbulent for me: we had just moved to a new home and I was having a lot of trouble trying to adjust because it was a new school and new friends. I felt even more lost and uncontrollable than I did before. So, with all of this chaos and uncertainty, what was it that I wanted to set goals for? According to my mother, I wanted to do something with art: even at 6 I was constantly drawing and coloring and I even responded “artist” when asked. Paintings of rainbows and horses used to cover our fridge, according to my mother, and everyday it was something new. An uncertain career for an uncertain little girl: how did I get to where I am today?
I now reside almost 1,500 miles from where I grew up, served as a Texas Police Officer, and married with two sons: the only thing that really stayed the same is that I am still a country girl at heart. I think that my younger self began to change my opinion of my greatest goal while I made my way from the earliest education all the way to my current classes. I began to find that I appreciated the more factual side of education: history, law, and even some sciences.
I found comfort in those studies, as it seemed to be the only thing I could understand. The world was a cruel dark place to me, with the death of my father and the inability to actually “fit in” was forever weighing on my mind. It was a rough and difficult life and I found my comfort within what I learned. I began to take pride in my work and schooling and found the further I excelled, the happier I became. After serving time overseas with the military, I finally felt as had found my line of work: criminal justice. I like the idea of being in control of my own work: no bosses, no one to stand over and judge me. I loved the pride I felt when associating myself with those within the field gave me the happiness I had been missing so much. So now here I stand: I love my job, my life, and everything I have experienced since I was 6 years old has brought me here. Would I have changed anything? Wishful thinking; however without everything I had gone through, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. So, would I have like a happier childhood with more school friends? Maybe, but as it stands I see it as all being worth it in the end.