I missed my deadline for April, so this month you get to read that article and also my introduction to next year’s Young Lawyers Section President.
The professor told us that we would all be graduating soon. He said, “When you graduate and enter your professions you will be the leaders of industry, you will be the leaders of your community, and you will be the Do you remember writing a “personal statement” with people that others look to for answers and help.” His your law school applications? I do. I remember it being lecture continued, but he continually used the words a very stressful event for me because I did not know “when” and “will” in reference to our futures. Something anyone that had applied to law school, let alone anyone about the lecture really impacted me and I spent what that had actually gone. I did not know what a “personal was probably hours thinking about the words that he statement” was or how to even begin writing them. I said to us and why they struck me as so different. scoured the world wide web searching for answers, but found very little help other than it should be a letter that I grew up with parents that were lower middle class. makes you memorable to the readers. Well, after a long Very few people in my life growing up had a high school internal struggle I opted to write about a solitary event diploma, let alone had ever even tried to attend college. that occurred during an undergraduate psychology The people in my life all believed that if you work hard, class that had a great impact on me. I titled my personal then you get rewarded. If you do ‘x’, then you can get statement “How Two Words Changed My Life” and ‘y’. It was a formula that I knew well. Those were the submitted it. What was that event and what were those words that I grew up hearing: “if ” and “then”. It is a two words? subtle difference, but one that really changed my view of things. I do not have my personal statement anymore, but I do remember the story and the words. I was taking When my professor stood before me and said “when” a 300-level psychology in the workplace course. The and “will,” I had never had someone set expectations like professor was one that I had enjoyed in previous classes that for me. The people in my life had always presented and I had heard great things about this particular course. that I had options. If I did something, I might get On this particular day, our professor sat on top of the something else. Nobody had ever set the expectation desk at the front of the class and began his lecture by that I would do something. Nobody had ever set the asking us why it was so important for us to understand expectation that my future would be important. Sure, the psychology and culture in our workplace. As with the possibility was presented, but there is something any lecture, I am sure that he looked out to a class of different about knowing that someone expects that dumbfounded looks on students hoping that he would possibility to be your reality. There is a confidence answer his own question. And he did not disappoint. instilled in knowing that someone believes so strongly
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