Personal Statement for Sara Hawk
"Life isn't fair!" my mother's voice echoed to me, as I looked around my parent's ransacked bedroom. With glass shattered all over the floor, I knew that someone had broken into my recently deceased parents' house, again. Angry that someone tried to take what little was left of my childhood, I was ever more so fueled to find the justice that I deserved. After cleaning up the house, talking to the police, and answering many questions, I was tired of taking a back seat to this constant show of disrespect and unfair treatment. This is when I knew my calling was to be a lawyer. I knew I wanted to help others who's lives were "unfair" like myself.
I have seen unfairness throughout all of my life. Growing up with two disabled parents and a special needs younger brother made things more of a challenge. Often we were not given the same attention, education, and privileges that other children received, usually due to the fact that our mother was not on the PTA board, or we didn't have the latest clothes or expensive cars. We lived below the poverty level, so I had to take my education seriously. I wanted to go to college, and I wanted to make a difference in people's lives, who had similar struggles like my own. I got my chance at East Tennessee State University, where I participated in the America Reads Challenge. I spent hours per week at elementary schools, educating children how to improve their reading skills. This became a large achievement for these students, to be brought up to the reading levels of their peers. After merely one month, reports from teachers accredited me with the student's increasing interest in class, behavior, and grades. It was also a victory for myself, because I was making things fair for those children. I also got the opportunity to be Vice President for the St. Jude's Up 'til Dawn fundraiser program, aimed at raising money for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. I wanted to...