6-year-old me by Mara

6-year-old me by Mara - June 2017 Scholarship Essay

As a 6-year-old Kindergartener, I sat on the carpet of my teacher’s classroom and listened to my classmates talk about their dreams of becoming astronauts and firefighters and actors. As I stood up to answer the day-old question “What do you want to be when you grow up?”, I thought about all of the exciting opportunities that lie ahead of me. I could be whatever I wanted to be, and in that moment, I wanted to be a marine biologist. I was fascinated with sea otters, and wanted to know more about them and other sea creatures. My dream was to work in an aquarium, and get to be around these animals every day.

However today, my dream has changed. My parents are both lawyers, and as I have grown older and been able to learn and understand more about what they do, I have become much more interested in that field. Since kindergarten I have been interested in helping people and the world, and if approached in the right way, I think law could be an amazing way for me to do that. During my junior year of high school, I was able to take a business and personal law class, and participate in a full mock trial. The opportunity for me to delve into the profession in a tangible way really solidified my interest in the law and allowed me to get a sense of not only what it takes to be a lawyer, but also how rewarding it could be to help those who may need legal aid. I am so thankful that my school was able to provide me with the chance to take a class like this and realize that I have a passion for something that I might not have otherwise realized.