When I was four years old, I can remember my dad and I were at a swimming pool. I decided that I would learn to swim by doing, even though I actually did not know how to swim. “Dad, watch me swim!” I said as I jumped in the pool at the five foot deep mark. Like a rock, I sank straight to the bottom. A few short seconds later, there was my fully-clothed father next to me at the bottom of the pool pulling me back up to the surface. What did I learn by doing? That I in fact did not know how to swim. Growing up, I lived in St.Petersburg, Florida up until the third grade. By the end of third grade, my mom and dad both acquired jobs in Boston and Fall River, which resulted in packing up and moving to Barrington, RI. In the summer of my senior year of high school, I was a hostess at Longhorn Steakhouse. One day, two detectives from the local police department came to have lunch. I spotted them immediately and did not hesitate to strike up a conversation pertaining to my interest of law enforcement and the possibility of a ride along. The following week, I was on a guided behind the scenes tour of the station and landed myself a ride along with a female officer. By directly communicating and taking action, I was able to gain new insight and experience relating to my intended career choice.
The underlying theme is learning and growth through interpersonal communication and action. As mentioned, I have always taken the opportunity to talk with a police officer whenever I saw one. I enjoy meeting new people as well as gathering different insights from new experiences. A perfect example would be this Ireland study abroad program I am about to embark on. The memories made and experiences shared will be important building blocks to my overall understanding and empathy of different cultures. In my major of criminal justice, I have come to realize it is pertinent to be able to communicate information properly in order to carry out the job efficiently. My chosen major directly relates to the theme of communications, which is already and will become an even greater aspect of my life when my career comes.
Perfect!