Marquette would be an excellent place to continue my higher education. I live in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and I have always dreamed of living in the city. The city of Milwaukee offers internships, culture and more, and I feel like this would be a great city in which to live the next four years of my life.

I plan on majoring in public relations with a minor in psychology. With that degree, I would love to become an admissions counselor at a university and eventually work my way into alumni relations. Marquette offers opportunities to gain professional experience before students graduate with the required internships, and that is very appealing to me.

High school has been a place of growth. I went from being a shy freshman to an outgoing and involved senior. Freshman year I did not know anyone and probably appeared to my peers like a mute. I walked with my head down to my classes and rarely raised my hand to answer a question in class. However, my involvement in numerous sports and clubs forced me to get out of my comfort zone and become an effective communicator. Freshman year I played volleyball in the fall and have been playing ever since. Through volleyball I have been able to become vocal and step up and be more and more of a leader each year.

Sophomore year I joined the school newspaper, The Prospector. My first year I was just a staff writer, but each year I worked my way up to a more executive position. Last year I was a feature and in-depth editor, and this year I am the executive opinion editor. This year, I even was awarded an honorable mention for copy and caption writing for clubs at the national journalism convention in St. Louis.

Being a journalist forced me to go out into the school and interview people I did not know. It also forced me to become vulnerable to my peers’ critiques and also to be able to critique my editors’ work and communicate in an effective format. At first, journalism was a course I used to improve my writing and communication skills, but it had become so much more. Writing and talking to people is my passion, and that is why I want to continue to use the skills I have learned and put them to use in a career.

In closing, I am a responsible and enthusiastic student who will be an asset to the Marquette community.