Yes!
Research Assessment #2
CONTACT ME
WHO AM I?
WHO AM I?
WHO AM I?
WHO AM I?
APPLICATION TIMELINE
9/28/20
WEEKLY BLOGS: ONWARD
Yes!
1/25/21
Fastening my blazer, I make last-minute adjustments to my setup before logging on to Zoom. It is my second meeting with Mr Wilcott, an Attorney At Law at LeCrone Law Firm. Communication leading to this point has persistently proven enthusiastic, yet my nervousness persists. We have not called since last October, nearly three months to date. Despite religiously studying the instructions on the ISM student locker, I am still worried about how I will ask him to be my mentor. What will he think? More importantly, what will his response be? As he logs on to the Zoom call, my anxiety calms as I see a friendly face.
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We open the conversation with talk of the new year, celebrations and college applications. I am over the moon ecstatic to hear that he believes in my original work proposal, a case brief, and is interested in the outcome. Following a slew of questions from his undergraduate experience at the University of Texas to my current curriculum now, the conversation gradually shifts in tone.
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Hearing Mr Wilcott’s outlook on People Of Color in the industry is daunting. With more than half of the professionals I have previously interviewed identifying as POCs, I have acclimated myself to some of the adversity I will encounter. However, his perspective detailing his experience as an African American male in the legal field is distinctive. As he explains the significance of consistently networking during and beyond law school as well as finding commonalities in culture, he promptly follows with “you have it even harder as a woman”. I initially laughed at his brutal yet honest delivery of a much-needed reality check, I hope to work toward influencing a collective change in mindset. Just glimpsing into the incredible intellectual capacity of women in law as they detail their experiences passionately, I believe this is a stigma we can overcome.
A Fortnight Ago
2/1/21
Last class, Mr Pirtle, my ISM advisor, notably spoke about the busy lives we lead as teenagers. With common responsibilities in mind, SAT preparation, Advanced Placement courses, extracurricular activities, work and driving classes, our schedules may rapidly snowball if left unchecked. Following this observation, he quickly raised an interesting proposition. Asking the class which of us would call ourselves busy, nearly all students responded positively. He then introduced the intriguing distinction between busyness and productivity.
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This January marked the second semester of my final year of high school and I fear senioritis is settling in. With university application season nearly over, I have completed my fair share of more than 30 supplemental essays and counting. For some time thereafter, I struggled to adequately translate my thoughts through academic papers due to an ever pending writer’s block. I often subconsciously count myself “busy”, be it through studying, student organisations or familial matters. Yet, since our collective transition to online school last March, I have found myself with infinitely more snippets of free-time. When I sit down and truly mull over what I have accomplished with this time, am I proud? One of my favourite hobbies is reading, yet I struggled to read more than 2 books in January while simultaneously harbouring an incredulous screen time on TikTok.
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Overall, I just need to get myself out of this self-perpetuating bubble. Despite the downfalls of COVID in my senior classes experience, so many new academic and communal opportunities have arisen out of it. I hope to learn how to better utilize these opportunities.
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The Final Stretch
3/19/21
All throughout my adolescent years gradually signalling the rise of adulthood, one of my favourite TV shows consistently proved to be Suits, a binge-worthy USA Network series dedicated to fast-paced dialogue, argumentative jabs coupled with a myriad of pop-culture references. As a guilty pleasure, it gradually morphed into a model for which I aspired to achieve professionally later in life; practising big law in arguably one of the most diverse, exuberant cities in the world.
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By the time I reached the inauguration of the Independent Study Mentorship program, I had grown clouded in idealistic visions of glossy suits, high profile cases and shiny offices. However, if I have learnt anything, I can assert with confidence that ISM has revealed the brim of the truly multifaceted nature of corporate law. As cheesy as it may sound, the legal profession is not bound to a chain of jargon characterized by smooth comebacks and repeated court wins. It is so much more; not just a swarm of suits, but the wholesome people that represent them.
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If I could accredit anyone for this revelation, it would undoubtedly be my mentor, Mr Wiloctt. Reiterated in various assessments, I have described our discussions to be honest, yet personable as he shares little concern for small talk. With every conversation feeling productive and meaningful, I am grateful to not only have gained a consistent legal perspective on my original work but an advisor who is willing to share his wisdom. Conversely, I wish I could engage in more conversations with Mr Wilcott by maintaining a steady stream of contact. Due to overlapping meeting dates and the il-weather patterns in Texas recently, it has occasionally been a struggle to find a good time to meet.
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In terms of my original work, I would describe more progress than accomplishment. Following weeks of conducting initial research and gaining my bearings, I finally feel confident in the direction my case brief is developing. With the procedural history and case facts outlined, I am halfway through the brief and currently working toward furthering my understanding of the issue in question.
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Happily Ever After
4/26/21
Resolution
5/10/21
When I was a kid, everything felt so definitive. The prospect of being an astronaut, athlete, musician, firefighter, video game designer clouded our minds and filled our hearts. Yet, no matter the idealistic nature of our professional ambitions, we were absolutely certain there would be an end result. Progressing through high school proved enlightening. Proclaimed ice cream taste masters went out of the window and stockbrokers replaced them. Direction no longer appeared to be a concrete line, but a winding road as the subject of student debt, income disparity and failure became fathomable. Now, nearing not only the end of the Independent Study Program but the end of my high school career, I am left uncertain.
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Finalizing the composition of my speech for the final presentation night, I wholly reflect upon the work that I achieved throughout the course of the year. Some chapters of progress only live onward through memory, but still remain important to the process. With just three stones left in the jar, I chuckle as I analyse my legal case brief and contemplate the unnecessarily lengthy time it took for me to assemble the fictional witnesses, locations, companies and call to actions. I truly hope that my thought process, research and preparation reflect in my presentation. More than anything, I think carefully about what it means for my future. In bright, bold letters reads “pre-political science major” on my university acceptance letters. With the emerging opportunities that further education will offer socially and academically, I just need to work out what it means to me.
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5/10/21
The wind whistles, a horse trots and boots clank. He races along the desert abyss of New Austin in search of answers. Struck with a fatal case of tuberculosis and engulfed in thoughts of absolution, he is nearing his end. Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of my favourite video games and indisputably one of the best character development to date. While most games urge players to escape one reality in search of another, RDR2 encourages self-reflection and recognises the value of continued growth throughout life.
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What does this have to do with the Independent Study program? In many ways, it has followed the same timeline. Evidence of an exposition, rising action, climax and resolution. While one end is signalled by the rise of “That’s the way”, another is indicated with a final fluorescent stone. Just one stone remains in the jar. I began this journey, more so, this year in complete anxiousness. Logging on to my first zoom session, submitting my first Friday assignment, I often felt a strong case of the imposter syndrome as I navigated through the class. However, unlike Arthur Morgan (RDR2), I do not end this journey seeking redemption, but rather a continuation. A gush of emotions rushes over me at the thought of the school year ending. I feel energized, but dejected. Excited, but scared. Maybe I am just trying to revel a bit longer in the youthful rebellious spirit I have left.
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