Ff Personal Statement

To honorably serve my country as a United States Marine Corps Officer has been an aspiration of mine since middle school. My desire and drive to join an elite team that fully embodies and teaches the core values that I uphold myself, is a major reason that I want to become an exemplary Marine Officer. Always striving to become a better individual and reflect upon my experiences has pushed me to attain high levels of academic success and to be placed into a variety of leadership roles. I received the Stephen Decatur Jr. Award from Vice Admiral Barry McCullough (U.S.N. Ret.) and the Surface Navy Association for “Demonstrating the Navy’s [and Marine Corps] core values of honor, courage, and commitment as shown by performance of duty, academics, …show more content…
In the weeks leading up to the inspection, my platoon was far from prepared. My cadets struggled to perform some of the most basic movements and commands, failed to answer knowledge questions correctly, and appeared to lack motivation to move towards superior standards. As a leader, it was time for me to take action, time for me to lead my cadets, time for me to motivate, time for me to create an environment where success is the only option. Effective planning, coordination, and practice with my cadets occurred in order to ensure not only success, but greatness from my platoon. Working hard alongside them, leading by example, staying committed, providing positive reinforcement and being relentless in the face of adversity resulted in a successful inspection. An effective leader also acknowledges and praises the hard work put forth by all participants; I did just that with my cadets. This sole experience reinforced in me that being a leader is far from easy, far from simple, but is most rewarding. Being able to adjust, adapt and persevere for mission completion is essential as a leader. Attaining my goal of becoming a Marine Corp officer will continue to push me further which in turn will benefit those that