My answer may come as a surprise to those who know that I have already been accepted to six law schools. A common question playfully asked of me by my friends is: “how many law schools can you attend at a time?” The truth is, Northwestern’s offer was more than an offer. It was an offer from a school which is ranked number twelve overall in the nation, and number one in terms of career prospects. Simply put, Northwestern graduates have an easier time getting a job than all Ivey League schools (according to US News & World Report). Hope that puts my “duh” into perspective.

I decided to fly to Chicago on February 3rd (08) for a February 4th interview. My flight was delayed for three hours, but that didn’t bother me: I’m used to flying Air Jamaica, which means my flight needs to be delayed for at least five hours for me to break a sweat. Sorry Ramesh (lol). When I arrived in Chicago, it was raining cats and dogs. It was actually raining rain, but I just felt like saying that. Well it was raining real hard, but you get the point (I hope).

In Chicago, I was placed in the care of a second year student by the name of Brian. He was a down to earth dude with similar interests, so we connected. After talking about sports and girls, I proceeded to get some alcohol induced sleep. I had no intention to drink, but I couldn’t resist the urge to answer a question which had bothered me since I looked in Brian’s refrigerator: Does a Heineken in Chicago taste similar to one from New York? I’m still not certain. What I do know is that six Heinekens will have the same effect in Albany, New Rochelle and Chicago.

Monday morning while walking to the elevator, Brian gave me some disturbing news: we would have to walk through the Playboy building to get to the law school from his apartment. I thought long and hard about this decision (get your minds out of the gutter people), but after five seconds of thinking, I boldly walked through. I was late and it was snowing. Well, it wasn’t really snowing, but snow was on the sidewalk. Not actually on the sidewalk, but there was snow there the night before, so in consideration of that I took the safer route.

At approximately 8:15AM (ok, I wasn’t late) I walked into NU Law’s admissions department. My first interview was with a beautiful third year law student from Brazil. We connected on many levels. Two beautiful people with a love for football (soccer) and an interest in law. We discussed her initial anxieties regarding her marketability as an international student, and she informed me that many firms saw her international status as an advantage. My next interview was with the school’s Dean of financial aid. We discussed my reasons for applying to law school, and he was very impressed with my political awareness. I was pleasantly informed that if Northwestern accepts me, they will give me a loan to cover the difference between scholarships, grants, and the actual cost of law school. My third interview was with the director of diversity management. A young lady of Jamaican parentage, she gave me general advice on what to look for when deciding which law school to attend.

After my interviews, I was a “guest of honor” in a student’s reception. This gave me an opportunity to mingle with NU students, and discuss the pros and cons of attending NU. By 5:00PM, I was reluctantly on my way to the airport, but wound up spending the night in Chicago because my flight was cancelled… Damn you United Airlines!

Thanks to Audra, Tameika, Brian Steven and all who made my experience a pleasant one.

The trip was overall a delightful experience; one which I will not soon forget!!!

I was that child. This was not an isolated case of abuse. My mother, a poor, semiliterate, twenty-five year old, tried to intervene, but was silenced by her lover. I watched while he beat her; I thought it “normal” for a man to beat his woman. It was “discipline”. This is the reality of the impoverished in several of Jamaica’s rural communities.

Highgate, where I spent most of my youth, is a small, poor agrarian community in southeast Jamaica. When I lived there, most adults were farmers, laborers or unemployed. Opportunities were limited. After several unsuccessful attempts to run away from a lifestyle that I came to dread, I decided to accept my reality. Though I was always at the top of my primary school class, and passed my Common Entrance Examination at the age of nine – two years younger than the average age – I recognized that I would just have to make the best of what little Highgate had to offer. Maybe I could become a mechanic or a policeman. Then high school happened.

After a year at St. Mary’s High School, my grades began to plummet because I could not balance the pressures at home with high school’s new challenges. I was doing so poorly that it caught the attention of my father, who had played no role in my life up to this point. He arranged for me to live with my grandmother in Portland so I could attend the more prestigious Titchfield High. Many hours were spent telling us about the rich history of the school, and that we were the future leaders in training. This new environment allowed me to graduate from high school with good grades. I began to feel like I could be someone.

Portland is one of the most aesthetically beautiful places to live, but it did not present many socioeconomic opportunities for me. I went to live with my father and work in Kingston when I was sixteen. Four years later, in 2002, I became producer and host of “Positive Vibes” on Roots FM. Each week I had a guest who had succeeded despite significant odds. The program was not only therapeutic for me as the host, but also benefitted the listeners who were largely residents of some of Jamaica’s toughest inner-city communities.

While walking to a radiator shop in May 2003, at 21 years old, I was hit by a reckless driver, resulting in a ruptured spleen, and broken left ankle. The long recovery which ensued allowed me to reflect on the fragility of life and the need to more aggressively pursue my goals. Following my recovery, I focused my energies on organizing several philanthropic projects.

My work in depressed communities, and my own experiences made me sensitive to the many brilliant Jamaican students who go to school each day on an empty stomach. I started the “We-Care; Adopt a Child” project to help address this problem. This program uses contributions from my fellow employees at Jamaica’s National Housing Trust to provide meals, transportation and clothing to high school students. The students’ stories were shocking to my colleagues, but brought back memories of me sharing one bed with my mother, my sister, my step-father and his brother.

After hurricane Ivan struck in 2004, I organized these same co-workers to contribute food, clothing and money. Through these efforts, we delivered a truckload of supplies to the Red Cross. My managers were very impressed with my organizational skills and it was not uncommon for me to be left in charge of a department with over twenty staff members.

Dr. Vincent George, a director at Jamaica’s National Housing Trust, defines excellence as “exceeding expectations”. His insight further inspired me to exceed the limitations of my socioeconomic situation. Armed with renewed confidence and a desire for excellence, I applied and was accepted into Monroe College. A cousin in New York agreed to pay for my first semester, and college soccer ensured that I had books and at least one meal per day. After my first semester I conceptualized and formed the Pre Law Society at the college. The constitution we drafted for this organization has become the standard for new clubs on campus. My hard work was recognized by the legal community when the New Rochelle Bar Association awarded me a scholarship in early 2007 to complete my undergraduate studies.

My college career did not stop at soccer and law. I founded the colleges Debate Team and I was an active member and Project Manager in my school’s chapter of Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE). One of my proudest moments was helping my school become SIFE regional champions after a competition in Philadelphia. Not only will I be the first person in my mother’s family to complete a Bachelor’s degree, but I will be one of the few athletes to graduate with a 4.0 GPA.

I seek no pity for the misfortunes of my childhood, in fact, I am thankful for them. Someone once told me how pearls are formed: a grain of sand enters the shell of a clam causing irritation. The clam releases a chemical as a defense mechanism, and after many years, a pearl is formed. The moral: Beauty sometimes comes out of discomfort.

I am a product of my upbringing. Overcoming my past has given me a greater appreciation of the present. Challenges do not phase me, I embrace them, knowing that a pearl awaits. My lack of opportunities as a child has taught me to take full advantage of those presented to me, and when admitted to __________________________, I intend to do the same.