College Essay

As a woman on active duty in the United States Coast Guard I have benefited from numerous experiences that have molded and prepared me for my academic career. As a Health Services Technician, I have had the unique opportunity to treat patients and truly help my fellow shipmates. Seven years of experience has shown me how much listening to someone’s story is treatment alone. I have selected Sociology as my major because I have learned that understanding how we operate in society is an essential tool when making an effort to really understand someone and more importantly understanding what tools are necessary to succeed in a particular environment. Sociology is a specialty that will aid in a future career in medicine because treating the person is as crucial as treating a disease. A focus in Sociology expands our imaginations, broadening our capacity to feel compassion for our fellow man.
Immediately after graduating high school I was not ready to attend college. I had little direction and was unsure what career I wanted to pursue. The majority of my concern stemmed from the cost of college tuition. My parents shared this concern and asked that I pursue other options. I had never considered the military until a close friend suggested the Coast Guard after laughing off my extravagant plan to become a lifeguard on the beaches of California at age eighteen. I was yearning to leave Ohio for California. Six months later, newly graduated from boot camp I left for the USCGC Sherman, a 378-ft high endurance cutter out of Alameda, Ca.
It was my time aboard the USCGC Sherman that provided a structural environment and presented me with skills will take with me through out life. Two years underway taught me that hard work and initiative le...

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...n ejected out of my comfort zone and proven to myself that I am capable of accomplishing my goals, big and small. The Coast Guard has also taught me about accountability and how important it is to maintain an honest attitude with yourself and your shipmates. I have learned that integrity and responsibility are character traits that are vital in maintain honor, respect, and devotion to duty. In my field we rely on each other heavily when situations arise, and I feel that my studies in Sociology have allowed me to look introspectively and observe my weaknesses so I can continue to improve and evolve into a better person that can continue to serve. I feel that my demographics do not embody diversity. Rather, it is my ups and my downs, my experience in the military, and life as an older student that can contribute to the intellectual diversity within the student body.