I suffered through a period which left me lacking motivation and purpose in life. Friends and family told
me a great deal of things I should do, but none of it appealed to me. Though I want to help people, I
didn’t want to be a doctor; though history appeals to me, I didn’t think I would enjoy history in
academia. Following a great deal of reflection and deliberation, I enlisted in the United States Marine
Corps. Among the lessons learned during my enlistment were intricacies of the professional
responsibilities of a basic “boots on the ground” infantryman, a team leader of three other Marines, and
subsequently a squad leader of twelve Marines. This position requires training and developing a group
of Marines into a fighting element …show more content…
The Marines entrust junior leaders to accomplish its
missions. Marines often find themselves tasked with a mission in which they are given the intent, the
desired end state, and little else. This distinct lack of exhaustive instructions allows developing leaders
to craft their own solutions. Encouraging creative thinking and independent problem solving allows
mission accomplishment with minimal oversight. In my role as a squad leader, I cultivated this skill
amongst other Marines. Young adults entering the workforce can benefit from this flavor of
independent thinking: productive and independent members of the workforce will outpace their co-
workers, be recognized for their meritorious accomplishments, and bring credit on the institution from
which they graduated.
The four years of service allowed me to emerge as a productive and thoughtful member of society, I am
genuinely grateful for that period of discovery and self-development. I hope to apply everything I have
learned to become a successful student, as well as to help make the community a positive and uplifting
environment for students and staff of the
me a great deal of things I should do, but none of it appealed to me. Though I want to help people, I
didn’t want to be a doctor; though history appeals to me, I didn’t think I would enjoy history in
academia. Following a great deal of reflection and deliberation, I enlisted in the United States Marine
Corps. Among the lessons learned during my enlistment were intricacies of the professional
responsibilities of a basic “boots on the ground” infantryman, a team leader of three other Marines, and
subsequently a squad leader of twelve Marines. This position requires training and developing a group
of Marines into a fighting element …show more content…
The Marines entrust junior leaders to accomplish its
missions. Marines often find themselves tasked with a mission in which they are given the intent, the
desired end state, and little else. This distinct lack of exhaustive instructions allows developing leaders
to craft their own solutions. Encouraging creative thinking and independent problem solving allows
mission accomplishment with minimal oversight. In my role as a squad leader, I cultivated this skill
amongst other Marines. Young adults entering the workforce can benefit from this flavor of
independent thinking: productive and independent members of the workforce will outpace their co-
workers, be recognized for their meritorious accomplishments, and bring credit on the institution from
which they graduated.
The four years of service allowed me to emerge as a productive and thoughtful member of society, I am
genuinely grateful for that period of discovery and self-development. I hope to apply everything I have
learned to become a successful student, as well as to help make the community a positive and uplifting
environment for students and staff of the