From
the time I was about eight, I began to decide what I wanted to be when I grew
up. It started out with things like
being a ballerina, a singer, an actress.
As I grew, it transformed into being a basketball player or a doctor and
in fifth grade I decided I wanted to be the President of the United States. It wasn’t until eighth grade that I seriously
considered pursuing a career in politics or law. Throughout high school, my interests in these
career paths grew and in a way became my passion.
I’ve
been asked many times, why I would ever want to pursue this career path. My short answer to this question is, why
not? Peter F. Drucker (2001) writes
“More and more people in the workforce…will have to place themselves where they
can make the greatest contribution,” (p. 217).
It is in these career paths that I feel I could make the greatest
contribution. I like to help people and
I want to help people in my future, whether it is giving them legal advice or
influencing legislation that directly affects their well being. Drucker (2001) also writes that “what one
does well…and successfully may not fit with one’s value system. It may not appear to that person as making a
contribution and as something to which to devote one’s life,” (p. 223). I have confidence that I am capable of doing
well and successfully in these careers and my interest in these careers is
motivated by my values. In fulfilling
these careers I would be making a contribution.
What role do I seek in my law/political career?
As
far as law goes, I have not decided exactly what kind of law I would like to
practice. I have considered being a
child’s advocate or a district attorney.
Drucker (2001) says that one must “know their strengths so that they can
know where they belong,” (218). I am
well aware of my strengths but I have yet to decide where my strengths could be
best applied in the field of law. I feel
this discovery is something that will come with time as I mature and further my
studies in law school.
As
for politics, it is my ambition to fulfill a public office. I do not intend to limit myself so I therefore
have the goals of serving as a legislator, the governor of Washington or a
congress person, and the President of the United States. I fully comprehend the reality of
accomplishing all of this but I do not see these goals as being a waste of my
time. There are many things I have
thought to be impossible and something I could never do yet I accomplished them
regardless. It is with that state of
mind that I view these ambitions, and like one of my professors said, “don’t clip your own
wings.”
What do I believe I can contribute to society in
fulfilling this role?
Drucker
(2001) writes in essay 22, “The educated person needs to be able to bring his
or her knowledge to bear on the present, not to mention to have a role in
molding the future,” (p. 289). I believe
in fulfilling the roles mentioned above, I can contribute to molding the
future. In essay 16 Drucker (2001)
writes, “Effective people know that time is the limiting factor,” (p.
225). All we have is the time of our
lifespan to make our contribution. I
want my contribution to be aid and work for the betterment of other people’s
lives. I want to contribute to building
the road to a better future for our nation and our world. It is disappointing to me that our government,
something that was so liberating to the people at the time of its
establishment, has become a disappointing failure to the people. Governments have the power to improve the
lives of its people and that’s what I intend to do.
References
Drucker, P. F. (2001). The
essential Drucker. New York:
HarperCollins.
