We’re currently in the process of narrowing down finalists for the $1,000 ALF Scholarship, and we thought it would be a great idea to share some of the best essay submissions we’ve received on our blog. As part of the application process, entrants were asked if they would allow their story to be shared on our blog, and if so, how they would like to be attributed. Today’s essay comes from E.W.
My start in life was less than ideal. I grew up in an abusive home with a weak support system as our family moved seven times before I turned fourteen; until college, I had never attended the same school twice. By the time I was sixteen years old, my home life had deteriorated to the point that I was forced to leave home with my fourteen year old younger brother for our own safety. In addition to my coursework, I worked two jobs through my junior and senior years of high school to support us. To make matters worse, my brother developed a hereditary mental disorder, making caring for him even more challenging.
The culmination of the tremendous amount of responsibility I assumed in late high school, the lack of parental guidance, and the unresolved issues I had developed from my abusive upbringing resulted in unhealthy behaviors in my personal life. In 2010, when I was twenty years old on spring break, I chose to drink excessively which resulted in my being cited for disorderly intoxication. The charges were later dropped, but this experience left a far reaching impact on my life that would not be fully realized until a year later. In 2011, I was once again cited for intoxicated behavior, this time by the Florida State University housing department. The turning point came for me with the resultant university mandated alcohol awareness class at the Thagard Health Center on campus. The class prompted me to evaluate my alcohol consumption and with it, the coping mechanisms I had developed as a teenager. I have since developed healthier methods for dealing with stress, by avoiding high risk situations and channeling my energy into proactive solutions, such as exercising and building solid support systems.
Presently, I am active in the gym, my church, and my community which helps me to manage stress properly. Due to my experience with abuse and the emotional repercussions of it, I choose to serve my community by mentoring teenagers with similar backgrounds. Working with high risk high school students through the Big Brothers Big Sisters Mentor 2.0 program, I act as a mentor and a safe adult resource which gives me the opportunity to use the challenges I overcame to prevent abuse and facilitate positive life outcomes for others. In the future, I will continue this work through the Florida Guardian ad Litem Program by acting as legal voice for children from abusive homes and ultimately, by becoming a foster parent.
Part Two
Since elementary school, I knew I wanted to attend law school. Some of my friends wanted to be ballerinas or firefighters; I wanted to be an attorney. My inspiration to pursue law school at such young age was born out of the necessity of advocating for the wellbeing of myself and my younger brothers throughout our volatile home life. Working toward this goal, I studied hard in high school and was accepted into college at sixteen through a dual enrollment program. After I graduated from high school, I paid for college with two jobs, one waiting tables and the other as a peer tutor for other college students.
The academic focus of my legal interests originated during the spring semester of my junior year at the University of South Florida (USF) when I began my first constitutional law class with Professor Lawrence Morehouse. His class focused on the way in which case precedence shapes public policy, and mimicked traditional law school classes by employing dense reading assignments coupled with argument based written exams. Professor Morehouse’s exhaustive curriculum cultivated an environment of intense academic discussion, developing my interest in the intersection between law and public policy.
Professor Morehouse’s course inspired me to apply for the Tallahassee Internship Program (TIP), a competitive experiential learning program offered by USF comprised of a two month long intensive course focusing on state government and legislative policy followed by an internship during Florida’s legislative session. I was accepted to the program and, during the class, researched and wrote on the structure of Florida’s state and local government, current policy issues, and related legal proceedings. During the 2013 Legislative Session, I was delegated the responsibility of managing the education priorities for the office of Senator Jeffery Brandes, which exposed me to legal professionals working in governmental relations and became the catalyst for my career focus in public policy and administrative law.
In January of 2014, I transitioned into a professional role as a research analyst with the nonprofit research institution Florida TaxWatch whose mission is to provide independent analysis of state and local government policies. Currently, I research and analyze Florida statutes, legislative history, administrative procedure, local governmental policy and budgets, and Florida Supreme Court rulings. In conjunction with my research, I recently authored a report aimed at informing and shaping the dialogue on municipal pensions. This work builds upon the foundation of my undergraduate studies, advancing my understanding of policy as well as strengthening my skills in research and analysis.
Encouragement and guidance from Professor Morehouse and the many other civically engaged professionals I have worked with over the past two years has developed my aspirations from a childhood interest in attending law school into a professional interest in obtaining a legal education from the Florida State University College of Law. I hope to use my legal education in the fields of administrative law and governmental relations to promote informed policy creation and responsible governance.
