Sample College Admission Essay: Future Goals - Continued

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These are two of the dozens of conversations I had while I registered voters in the Lawrence, Massachusetts, projects. Many of the people I spoke to do not speak English well, and even fewer have any interest in voting. They think it is a waste of their time and believe that their vote has no impact. Even though I tried to explain Mr. Meehan’s position on tax credits, the minimum wage, and subsidies for the poor, their view of government as a large, foreign entity over which they have no control is so strong that many would not listen to me and my arguments to the contrary.

The people I spoke to fear and are suspicious of the government, probably because it is human nature to fear authority. This fear upsets me because it is one of the reasons the poor do not participate in the system. If they voted as a group, the government would be forced to listen to them and implement policies that benefited them. Politicians are afraid to cut social security because senior citizens vote and have a very powerful lobby. If the underprivileged classes organized, they could have that kind of political clout.

Yet I realize the people I spoke to do not see themselves as part of the system and have no belief in it. Thus, the system has to reach out to them. That is why I registered voters and why I plan to participate in Clinton ’s reelection campaign. I would like to have a career in government because I want to have a positive impact on people’s lives. I realize I sound cheesy and idealistic, but I’m only 17, and one of the benefits of being this age (possibly the only benefit) is that I have not been tainted by cynicism. However, I do not know what role in government I would like to play. I would like to have the power that elected officials have; their decisions affect everyone in this country. Yet too often, in order to get into and stay in office, politicians compromise principles. I do not want to compromise my liberal beliefs, for if I did, I would not be helping those I want to help. An alternative to running for office, working for a grassroots organization, would enable me to maintain my beliefs. Also, I like the direct interaction with people that this line of work affords. However, most organizations focus on one cause, and I am interested in a number of issues.

How I’ll be involved in government is a question for the future. Right now I’m excited about turning 18 in a presidential election year. Obviously the people in the Lawrence projects do not feel as I do. I hope that I’ll be able to influence people like them to change their minds.