Personal Statement

Ever since I was little, I’ve always dreamed of being a forensic scientist or a detective
when I got older. I remember being a little kid playing with my stuff animals, pretending they
were crime victims and I was the detective responsible for figuring out what happened. I
honestly don’t know where my obsession for criminal justice came from. If I had to take a guess
it probably originated from watching the infamous CSI tv series when I was younger. I was just
so fascinated with how much fun the job looked and how intriguing it was watching the
characters solve fictional crimes on tv. I also fell in love with shows like 48 hours, forensic files,
and other shows that would come on investigation discovery back in the day. As I grew older,
my dreams of being a detective grew from being inspired by fiction to being inspired by real life.
Growing up, I lived in a crime infested area, so I was used to seeing the police on a
regular basis. I remember watching the news and seeing kids I went to school with on tv because
they were murdered. Many of these crimes unfortunately went unsolved because they were gang
related. Even as a young teenager this infuriated me. There is nothing, I hate more than seeing
crimes go unsolved. I wanted to be a detective so bad because I really want to help take the bad
guys off the streets. Removing criminals from places like where I grew up would help many
communities flourish. I also wanted to gain a deeper understanding as to why people became
criminals and was it possible to deter people from that lifestyle. My life experiences played a
major role in deciding to major in criminal justice in college.
Another reason why I decided to major in criminal justice was because I didn’t like the
negative image criminal justice officials had in the black community. I believe in order to create
change; you must become the change you want to see. Having more African Americans work in
the criminal justice field can help other African Americans feel safer when they interact with
people who work in the criminal justice system. This comfort comes from feeling like the police
officer, lawyer, or detective may understand their situation better than someone who doesn’t
come from the same background.
During my junior year in college, my research methods professor said something that
really stuck with me. His class was one of the most difficult classes I took during undergrad. One
day towards the end of the semester he stated, “I made my classes challenging to prepare you
guys for graduate school. With just a bachelor’s in criminal justice, you will most likely only
have 2 or 3 career options to choose from.” My career goal is to be a detective one day and
eventually join the FBI or work in government. Obtaining my master’s degree will help me stand
out against many other candidates who will eventually try to join law enforcement or work on
the federal level. This degree will allow me to gain the proper skills and tools to go into any
career field criminal justice has to offer.
Specifically, Boston University’s MS in criminal justice would be the best program to
help advance my career. Their masters program seems to be the perfect fit for me both as a
student and as a person. Boston University’s master’s program will allow me to choose between
3 different concentrations and I believe I would be suitable for all 3. Although my undergraduate
degree is in criminal justice, I have some knowledge about computer science. I’ve taken some
computer science classes and I’ve done very well in all of them. I believe my education at Prairie
View A&M University has prepared to be successful at graduate level. My work ethic, which
can also be demonstrated by my grades proves I can be successful in any master’s program.
Whether I choose to be in law enforcement, become an FBI agent or a crime analysis. I will be
making the world a safer place for my generations and many generations after me.