Why I Want To Achieve Diversity In California

Opening Statement

Ever since I was little, my parents have taught me to be an honest and respectful person. I noticed that two of the core values for the San Diego Police Department is diversity and valuing people. One of the great aspects of living in California is you get to experience a great diversity of individuals. Through my life I’ve been able to carry these traits when dealing with other people such as friends, co-workers, customers, and even strangers. These experiences have provided me with a great appreciation for others’ differences. I’ve worked in a team with others from varying backgrounds and different projects. Each person has their own strength to contribute. Law enforcement is a public service position. It requires a person to deal with diverse co-workers as well as working with a diverse community. It is important be respectful at all times on and off the job. I’ve attended schools in multiple counties, participated in organizations such as Boy Scouts and after school sports, and worked in different fields dealing with a wide variety of people.

When I was younger I played in the Japanese American basketball league, high school volleyball, and participated in the Boy Scouts. Playing on a sports team has

been one of the greatest and most rewarding experiences. I played afterschool basketball on a community team for eight years and was on the high school volleyball team my freshman year. It taught me the importance of teamwork, self-discipline and to remaining calm in high stress situations. I learned how to work with my teammates to achieve similar goals. We practiced together, we won together, and we lost together. I learned how to keep a positive attitude despite the circumstances, remain calm in the heat of the game and to accept criticism for mistakes to improve myself. The Boy Scout promise is to follow the scout code, help people at all times, and keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight. As a scout I volunteered in community clean ups and fund raisers to help others. I worked with scouts of different religions and race, we all worked to help others.
I’ve always enjoyed working as a team and helping others. I made my decision to begin pursuing a career in Law Enforcement around 2010 while attending Palomar Community College. At the time I wasn’t prepared either mentally or physically. I had to ask myself what I expected from Officers in my community. I would want officers to be educated, physically fit, and to have a high standard of integrity. While at Palomar I took classes in criminal procedures and learned about the criminal justice system. I then transferred to the University of California, Irvine where I obtained my bachelors in Criminology. One of my favorite classes in Irvine was Police and Change. The class went through an overview of how the law enforcement scene changed depending on the times. In order to keep up with the changes in society, the police departments had to adapt. I believe this to be an important aspect for departments because it is an officer’s job to serve the community. I’ve been on ride-alongs with the Los Angeles Sheriff Department and Oceanside Police Department.
One of my greatest achievements came as a result of preparing for this career.

I was overweight at one point in my life. Officers are often put in dangerous and physically demanding situations, if they fail it can result in their death and the death of others. I knew I had to change my life style. I began to eat healthier foods and worked out more often. I was able to lose 70 lbs. To help prepare myself for academy, I also attended Los Angeles Police Departments Candidate Assistance Program. The program is a 3 hour session of physical training. It mixed running, calisthenics and strength training. I am still working hard to make sure I can meet the physical demands of academy by attending C.A.M.P. and constantly working hard with my own

training.
I have about 8 years of customer service experience. My first job was a summer position at a restaurant where I worked as a food server. I learned the importance of interpersonal skills. Dealing with a variety of customers it was important to communicate both ways to make sure that the customer was satisfied and happy with my service.
My next job was a rapid prototype assistant with JMAR. My responsibilities were to manufacture the company product. What was unique about my position was that the product I worked on was technology still being developed. Each product was unique to meet customer specifications. Communication and attention to safety were critical requirements for the position. I had to communicate between the customers, research, and engineering teams to make sure everything was manufactured correctly. I was required to manufacture unique parts in a machine shop. It was extremely important to manage working quickly and efficiently while following safety protocols. I always wore protective coverings and checked to make sure equipment was in safe working order. If I wasn’t sure about something I would always double check with my supervisors before continuing my work.
When the company shut down I had moved to Irvine to continue my education. As a requirement for graduating I had to find an internship for a quarter. My search lead to my volunteer work with the Santa Ana Library and the Los Angeles Sheriff Department. Unfortunately the Santa Ana Library did not qualify for my University’s field study program. I briefly volunteered as an after school tutor for students grade k-12 for a few weeks before I received my intern position with the Los Angeles Sheriff Department. I would be working with the Community Relations department as part of the Gang Diversion Team. The program was a collaborative effort between law enforcement, schools, and community leaders to provide at-risk youths with resources to prevent them from living a destructive and delinquent life-style. I was responsible for working with deputies in interviewing, creating and updating client reports, and participating in school and home visits. I was exposed to daily law enforcement tasks and participated in a ride-along. After my internship was over I stayed and volunteered for an additional nine months. This position built my skills in interpersonal communication, conscientiousness, and decision making. I attended meetings with members of the community and deputies. I dealt with confidential information between clients and their parents. I was required to keep detailed reports of meetings with clients. I worked with deputies in deciding intervention plans for clients.
I worked as a radio frequency driver for MobileNet Services. I drive cellphone test engineers to different cell tower locations to run test. This position required me to drive for long periods of time while following instructions from the engineers. It was important for me to pay attention to safety. I had to follow directions to run test on towers while following traffic laws.
I am currently employed as a cashier and clerk for CVS Pharmacy. My responsibilities include working the cash register and helping customers find what they need. The position requires interpersonal skills and sometimes to confront and overcome problems and adversity. I interacted with a variety of customers on a daily basis and provided help whenever possible. The main customer base for CVS are elderly and sickly people. These people are not always in the right state of mind and can sometimes be irritated easily. This made it imperative to be understanding and patient with customers. Sometimes while working, customers will attempt to steal and sometime commit fraud. When confronted they would sometimes get hostile. I would explain the situation to them and ask them to leave the store. If they continue to be confrontational I would call a supervisor or security.
The goals of the department are to improve the quality of life for all, ensure accountability to high standards of performance, ethics, and professional conduct, and to strive for continuous improvement in efficiency and effectiveness. The reason I am pursuing this career is to help others. My experiences have taught me to be accountable for my actions. To hold myself to the highest standards of performance, ethics, and to conduct myself professionally at all times.

Closing Statement
I really want this job. I want a career where I can help people and challenge myself to be better. After meeting numerous people in this field I am convinced that this is what I want to do. The hiring process shows just how important it is to hire those who have a strong sense of integrity. These are the type of people I want to work with. I believe myself to be a strong candidate for this position because my diverse background gives me the experience to appreciate and value everyone’s differences. Thank you for the opportunity.