Tulane Personal Statement

My entire life I have strove to be a determined, practical, and independent minded person, but as we are our own worst critics, I felt I was never rising to the potential I knew I was capable of; I knew something was lacking. So, for six weeks out of the summer of my senior year I attended Arkansas Governor’s School at Hendrix College in pursuit of discovering this “lacking factor.”
While there, I attended many environmental lectures including one from an Ecological Conservation Organization (ECO) representative, James Burke, who spoke on the topic of no new coal. These lectures, specifically James’ lecture, made me want to learn more about not only the atrocities that mankind is committing to our one and only world (such as coal fired power plants), but to put an end to it.
While at Arkansas Governor’s School another friend and I organized a meeting and wrote a letter to the Governor of Arkansas, Mike Bebe, about our dissatisfaction with the idea of a new 600 mega watt coal fired power plant being built in Arkansas- “The Natural State.” We started a petition around the school and obtained well over half the student body’s signatures. When Governor’s School was over, I knew that my work was not anywhere close to being finished. I personally met with the governor in a conference to present the letter and petition from Governor’s School; I appeared on a local radio station discussing the effects of coal, and why this plant in particular should be shut down. I have organized a coalition of high schools throughout the entire state of Arkansas for young adults interested in the environment. Through organizing weekly meetings, writing letters to the governor, attending and speaking at local rallies, and writing my senior thesis on this topic I have developed a greater understanding of the environment and how it is to be used. That is, the environment is there for people to live and thrive in, but, just like most things in life, it is to be used in moderation. When people become greedy for the environment and the energy it yields, it will stop working in our favor. This insight has led me to a greater realization; one of the differences between idealism, which many environmentalists as well as energy consumers tend to be, and practicality, which I believe to be the most important quality I posses. I am aware that nothing can be accomplished without hard work and complete commitment.
Sometime between Arkansas Governor’s School and speaking at rallies on the state capital’s steps I discovered the “lacking factor.” Passion was lacking; but now, through this enlightening, and sometimes sleep depriving experience, I have found a passion. Now I know I am not only capable of being determined, practical, and independent, but I am.