Myah Pickens L38059538 Personal Statement 1

I have always been fine. In an effort to not burden those I love with the intense emotions

that constantly flood my brain, I am fine. I am never struggling. I am always happy. Whenever I

slip, and those emotions manage to get over the barricade I have cemented around them, I simply

wipe the tears away and plaster the smile back on. During October of my freshman year of

college, I found myself on the floor of my dorm room sobbing quietly, attempting not to make

my roommates privy to my distress when my mother texted me. “I always have your back,” the

text read “You can be weak and vulnerable with me and I will do my best to restore you.”

From my sophomore year of high school to my sophomore year in college, being weak

and vulnerable seemed impossible. Despite a low high school GPA and an unimpressive resume,

I managed to earn acceptance into The University of Alabama. I entered my first semester with

high hopes and ambitious aspirations for myself and my collegiate career. The thought of being

in a place that exudes excellence, a place “where legends are made” solidified the desire to be a

better version of myself than before.

Quickly after the commencement of my first collegiate semester, however, I fell back

into the poor habits that haunted my high school career—skipping class, ignoring deadlines, and

blatantly disregarding the rules that were so clearly outlined in front of me. I let the anxiety that

stemmed from my classmates understanding of the material and my lack thereof prevent me from

seeking assistance. The subpar grades ensued and were uploaded onto Blackboard more often

than not. Each academic failure registered in my mind as a personal failure as well.

It was not until the second semester of my sophomore year that I was once again that girl

with larger than life dreams and high ambitions. The flame was reignited in me after a semester

long group project in which six strangers and myself had to tackle a problem facing our college

and provide a solution that could be implemented immediately. I doubted myself at every turn,
Myah Pickens L38059538 Personal Statement 1

bit my tongue even when I had an idea that would work, and cried in the professor’s office due to

fear of personal failure and disappointing my group members. Upon completion of the project,

each group member reflected on themselves and every other member individually. My reflection

of myself was harsh and self-degrading, while my group members drowned me in praise and

credited me with the success of our project.

This one act may have been small to some, but to me- someone who found herself

questioning if she was worthy enough to share a classroom with her peers- it was monumental.

This one act of validation gave me newfound confidence which in turn led to me joining a group

of my peers who all had beliefs similar to my own- The University of Alabama College

Democrats. I had the confidence to become a mentor to a fourth-grade girl and use my

knowledge and skills in an attempt to steer her in the right direction. I had the confidence to walk

into a Pre-Law Student Association and seriously reconsider something I had previously believed

to be unrealistic: law school.

The feeling of weakness is one that I know all too well. The lessons I have learned after

overcoming the obstacles placed in front of me, including those created by myself, and the

external support I have drowned in over the years is what pushed me to aspire to become a

lawyer. I yearn be a voice for the broken and beaten, and I am an unrelenting advocate for

change. This route I will embark on is one that will not at all be easy, but will indeed be worth it.

I will be someone that the weak and the vulnerable can turn to, knowing I will always do my best

to restore them.