AnshaLa Braswell

HRE 3331: Strategic Career Planning

April 25, 2014
Personal Statement
Insha Allah is the Arabic word for God willing or If God wills it. In Muslim nations it is
common to hear Insha Allah whenever a statement is made about plans to do something as a way of
requesting God to bless the activity. My father, who lived and worked in Saudi Arabia before I was born as a
part of his military duties, thought that the concept of InshaAllah was something that he believed so strongly
in that he chose to name his first child AnshaLa.
Up until my freshman year of college, although I knew what my name meant, I never really gave it
much thought. I started at Louisiana State University in 2010 with no clue what to major in. I jumped from
career path to career path hoping that it would be the best choice for me. This was such a low point in my life
because I was making these choices for all of the wrong reasons and my future seemed to be in jeopardy.
One day my grandfather and I sat down for a heart to heart. I explained to him that I had no idea what
I wanted to do with the rest of my life and that I was nervous about the fact that I had not yet found my
passion. My grandfather listened quietly and gave a small piece of wisdom that changed my life forever. He
asked the simple question, What makes you most upset about the world? I was taken aback by this random
question until he went on We all have a different answer to that question because our interests and passions
are different. The things that make you most upset are the things that God has called you to change.
I sat in silence and began to think about what makes me most upset about the way the world operates.
I quickly realized that what bothers me most is inequality as it relates to the attainment of education, most
commonly known as the achievement gap. It makes me sick to my stomach to know that there is not a level
playing field when it comes to the quality of education one receives and in most cases it has a lot to do with
race, socioeconomic status, where one lives, and other things that are beyond a young students control. If you
are poor and a minority, like so many kids in communities across the country, the odds are against you from
the very beginning.
I thought about my first encounter with the achievement gap. An assignment in one of my classes was
to observe two different preschool settings for an entire semester. One of the schools was located in a very
affluent part of the community and the other was located in a poverty-stricken area. These children were the
same age, but everything about their learning environment was different. Whereas the children at the more
affluent school were learning to string words together using phonics, the children at the other school were just
barely getting through the alphabet. Statistically speaking, the children in the more affluent school were about
50% more likely to graduate high school, attend college, engage in less crime, and earn more money as adults.
I remember reading the following quote and thinking that it related directly to my experiences at those two
schools Education is always portrayed in the American narrative as the great leveler. But it cant do its job
if it leaves so many behind so early.
During that pivotal conversation with my grandfather and my subsequent personal reflection, I
realized that my purpose on this earth is to promote education and to stand up for those who cannot stand up
for themselves. I changed my major one final time to Child and Family Studies. The curriculum focused
broadly on child development and family dynamics, with special emphases on parenting throughout childhood,
social and psychological development, interactions between family members, influences on child and family
well-being, cultural variation among families, and practical application of knowledge about individuals and
families. I also learned about why the education gap exists, its lifelong implications, and powerful ways to
address it.
All in all, my passion was there the whole time, I just needed a little help uncovering it. I have decided
to dedicate my life to closing the achievement gap that exists in Americas youth. I am positive that it is Insha
Allah (Gods Will) for me to be an advocate for youth and education. For the above mentioned reasons and
many more, I wholeheartedly believe that I am a great candidate for the position of _____________________
at ______________________________. I want nothing more than to redefine possible by creating life-
changing opportunities for students from low-income communities. My goal is to provide these students with a
high-quality, college preparatory education that prepares them to compete in the global marketplace and give
back to their communities.