Grad's guide to graduate admissions essays - Colleen Reding 2015
Georgetown university law center
Law
I am unabashedly a girly girl and have embraced this characteristic since childhood; by refusing to wear anything but dresses and “princess clothes” for far too long, it seemed that I would turn into a stereotypical real little princess. Yet not every young girl would juxtapose a viewing of her Grease VHS with the Indiana Jones trilogy, nor would every little princess jump back and forth between aspirations of being a prima ballerina and an FBI agent within the blink of a twinkling little eye. I have grown into a young woman who is still admittedly a girly girl, but who breaks from convention by always adding a twist. This is one particular facet of my personality that I am especially proud of—less sugar and more spice with everything nice.
One prominent example of this “personal twist” has been in my choice of a major in Classics at Georgetown—or rather my passion for Latin. I couldn’t begin to name the multitude of my female friends who love writing and language as well, though predominantly due to its power to evoke emotion. My own love of language is something undeniably different. Instead of joining the ranks of English majors lining up around me, I was (and continue to be) captivated by Classics. While the heroes of Ancient Rome are oftentimes lauded for their military prestige, I am in awe of the understanding of the power of words alone that Latin authors beautifully demonstrate: not only their ability to move emotionally, but also to persuade masterfully, and most interestingly to uphold accountability and responsibility successfully within society. What better introduction to these capacities of well-crafted language can be found than: a winning legal oration by Cicero, a study of morality and handbook marketed as a “biography” by Suetonius, or a list of bragging rights disseminated as personal propaganda by the Emperor Augustus.
Undoubtedly due to my girly girl exterior, I have withstood countless skeptical looks and exclamations of disbelief when identifying myself as a Classics major (or even stomached snide retorts of “I thought my father was like the only person who studied that, and he’s a big geek”). Subsequently, I have come to sadly suspect that I am a member of a rare breed as an outgoing young lady who loves studying a dead language; I may insist upon frequently updating my brightly colored nails and still wearing dresses almost daily, but that doesn’t hinder my ability to produce a mean translation of Virgil’s Aeneid.
This love of articulation even prompted me to study abroad in Dublin for all of last year in an attempt to gain some of the famed gift of gab for myself, instead of following my fellow Classics majors to semester programs in Italy and Greece (though I selected a school with a strong Classics program, a perfect fit for all of my interests).
In light of my fascination with the power of words, I hope to add yet a new twist into my life. As a perpetual performer during my childhood and adolescence, one would assume that I would be drawn directly to the stage of the courtroom and the high-profile role of a litigator; however, due to the amazing opportunities for summer internships that have come my way, my eyes have been opened to the limitless potential that the law provides in terms of working with words. During my time in music licensing at a record label in Manhattan, I was drawn to the dance of drafting an airtight contract that coincides with both parties’ interests. Even further, my summer in DC as the Legislative Director of an up-and-coming nonprofit plunged me happily into the world of drafting language for bills and resolutions in both the House and Senate. In my future endeavors, I hope that my little personal twists continue to open new doors and add a little spice to my life, while my love of articulation and language consistently provides a guiding force.
