My Purpose
“Curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction is what brought it back,” is a common phrase but one I personally identify with. As person, I am deeply inquisitive and curious about the world around me – I love learning, and I feel that life is a journey with learning opportunities. This prompts to seek out challenges, and new perspectives. My most valuable and favorite classes I took in my education were the classes that I had no idea about and was intimidated by. These classes were a pool of undiscovered knowledge and skills that I could fully dive into and immerse myself in; they were exciting. These were the classes I was still thinking about past the moment I stepped out the door, and the concepts I was pondering as I tried to fall asleep at night. I found the subject of my undergraduate thesis through a human trafficking class, because it was something I had never considered before, and I developed a deep sense of motivation and purpose to the cause. I find my causes through learning, and these motivate me to move through the world with integrity and compassion.
From this constant exploration comes a sense of justice and principles. I know who I am and I care very deeply about people. Working with people, connecting with people, caring for people is what gives me a sense of personal fulfillment. I am here on this earth for people, to help them, to grow with them, and to love. I work hard, and I play hard, because to me, those activities are often the same. There is much to see about the world and the most important thing about is the community you build. In this stage of my life, I am a young person. I am starting my life. I do not have the entrenched system that someone who has been in the workforce developing their passions and paths has – my goal, now, is to create as many opportunities and develop myself so that I can help others. I am doing this by pursuing a law degree, which aligns with my personal values of justice and challenge. I want to apply myself and the skills I have garnered through my education, and I am here to learn more about the world. I am here to learn and grow with people, as I discover and build that community.
My Values
As a young professional at the threshold of my legal career, I believe self-reflection is critical for growth. Recently, I took the Personal Values Assessment, where I have identified my core values of curiosity, honesty, meaningful work, justice, and intelligence and key strengths that define my approach to both personal and professional challenges. These values serve as my compass, guiding how I engage with my education, collaborate with others, and pursue my goals in the legal profession.
My top value was Curiosity, followed by Honesty, Meaningful Work, Justice, and Intelligence. My curiosity means that I am always searching to learn, and am open-minded to hearing new perspectives and trying new things. My value of honesty means that I value freedom of expression and trust with other people to share that authenticity. I care about who people really are and really think underneath the surface. Meaningful work and justice go hand in hand – I am driven by purpose, and I care about acting with integrity and fairness. I find conflict with other people who take the low road or are lazy. Intelligence, my final value, means that I care about rationality and critical thinking. This ties into to how I solve the problems and dilemmas my curiosity and sense of justice seeks out.
My Strength: Kindness as Best Practice
At anytime in an attorney’s office, someone could walk in having the worst day of their life. Regardless of the reason, they need help, and we can give it to them. During the summer of 2022, I interned at the Snively, Fairrell, and Koehler Law Firm, where I learned the ultimate hallmark of an excellent attorney: kindness. Over and over again, I watched my supervisor, Mr. Snively, gently guide clients away from an emotional breakdown back to what we could control with the law. At the time, my heart ached for these people, who were mostly confused, frightened, and desperately looking for something hold onto, even when they confessed their guilt to real crimes. But that empathy made me work harder, longer, faster – and together, we were able to serve our client’s interests to the best of our ability.
My Community
