I plan to eventually go back to my community after college and propose and promote a bill that guarantees individualized counseling to all troubled students to help them stay on track with their education. In The New York Times article “Zero Tolerance, Reconsidered,” the editorial board states, “nearly 6 in 10 schools’ students were suspended or expelled at least once between seventh and 12th grade … Children who are removed from school are at a heightened risk for low achievement, being held back, and dropping out.” This is a problem because students who drop out of school are more likely to struggle financially, and receive less opportunities in life. The majority of suspended students come back with the same behavior they left school with because they did not receive assistance to solve their psychological and emotional problems. Students who receive counseling have a higher probability to behave appropriately in ways that help them to achieve; an improvement they would likely not make without professional help.
Ultimately, an education from UC Davis will allow me to go back to my community and become a social entrepreneur. I am committed to the social responsibility of providing disadvantaged students with quality education based in supportive communities. I will create teams of social advocates skilled at elevating the perceived value of education within these communities and, as more students graduate from formerly troubled communities, momentum will build for the repair of other societal problems. People fought for me to have the opportunity to attend a university, and now it is my turn to fight for the next generation who will grow up in my neighborhood.
