Deer Lakes High School
Senior? Yes
Elite top 100? Yes
Letters of recommendation: Letter of Recommendation 1, Letter of Recommendation 2
When I was six years old, I sat in my kindergarten classroom on Career Day with a juice box and a big smile on my face. Looking toward the front of the classroom, I learned about different careers my future had to offer me. At the time, we all knew we would never be teachers, nurses, or police officers, but rather superheroes, astronauts, and for me, I would be President of the United States of America. We were very ambitious.
When it came time to cross some of those ideas off our list, supernatural beings were the first to go, but my dream of being the next president was not replaced, rather, it realistically grew. I might not be the leader of the free world, but politics and public service never fail to steal my attention. In this, I would always be different. While my friends were at concerts, I was at political rallies. Still, to this day, I have to explain why something so divisive and negative could be so inspiring. My truth could not be more simple: nothing about politics is theoretical. Every action and expression from our leaders directly impacts all of us, and that is extraordinary. I found myself lost for hours watching the national news. Every headline and breaking news story would convert me from a fourteen-year-old boy, into a political commentator. I would calculate the reaction of every action, follow candidate polling, and listen to speeches for hours. However, this lifestyle put me nowhere and the sideline view of our political arena grew boring. During the summer between my sophomore and junior years, my friends were applying to work in fast-food chains or referee local youth soccer games. I was applying for an internship in my local congressional election. At age 16, I was Congressman Conor Lamb’s youngest volunteer. During those short summer months, I knocked on hundreds of doors and registered many voters. This opportunity not only gave me extensive knowledge about our election process but a platform to be further involved in the future.
This experience was about finding my purpose and choosing a career for my future. After self-reflection, I see that being a campaign intern was not only about the results on election day but rather personal growth and confirming my passion for public service.