My Educational Goal

No other experience has defined my life to a greater extent than my quest to obtain a proper education. I was born and raised in Nicaragua, the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere – a nation where the education system leaves families with low economic resources, such as my own, at a significant disadvantage. The teachers, curriculums, extracurricular activities and learning atmospheres in the few private schools are drastically superior to those in public schools. Students who cannot afford costly private schools are often at social risk and find escaping the cycle of poverty to be almost impossible. As a child, I was not completely aware of the disadvantages my family faced. However, my ignorance did not prevent me from quickly

Consequently, the idea that personal and social progress can be achieved through education was instilled in me at an early age. This reasoning only increased my desire to attend a suitable school. However, I was not aware that a suitable school implied a private school that would put an additional stress on my family 's resources. One night, my mother informed me that she was contemplating immigrating to the United States as it would improve our economic position. She asked for my permission to leave because she was to immigrate illegally. My mother explained that this would be an immensely impactful process for both of us, as I had to remain behind in Nicaragua. It was not clear when we would be reunited. Naturally, I did not want my only parent to leave. Nevertheless, I realized that we needed to perform a difficult sacrifice for a proper education – for the opportunity to be something more than what our current circumstances dictated we had to

For example, in Florida, funding for school art programs is continuously cut. In the international arena, there is a gap between how countries provide aid to less developed nations and in understanding how the aid affects children and families. Moreover, there is a need for more international development projects that are centered around empowering locals rather than dictating the change from the foreigner’s perspective. Thus, I want to pursue a career in law because it will allow me to become a leader in addressing these issues. While I understand that attending law school will be demanding, I believe that the maturity, determination, independence and strong work ethic that I have demonstrated from a young age will allow me to overcome any challenges that I may face and advance towards my dream of empowering children in Latin American. Applying to Harvard Law School represents everything that I am and everything that I have ever been – my sacrifices, my strong work ethic, my ambition, my resilience, my love for knowledge, and my love for my