My desire to receive a legal education from Florida International University is based on my wish to change the world. While many others decide to study law in order to increase their salary, to rise in distinction among their peers, as well as a myriad of other, more common reasons, my focus is broader than that. Changing the world may seem like a pretentious statement, please allow me to explain why it isn’t. Hopefully, by the time you are done reading this, you will agree that it is not only a good idea, but also one that has merit and has a strong chance of success.

The law itself is an everlasting, continually cycling entity in each one of our lives. You simply have to read a newspaper or magazine, click on your web browser, or turn your television or radio on to see this as fact. Law, and all of its intricacies, is a part of our daily existence – from the minute we are born until the minute we die, and every major step that occurs in between. From significant world events to the tiny minutiae of our lives, the law plays a varying, yet powerful, role. I find myself enthralled with the ability law has to change our lives, sometimes with fanfare and other times quietly, almost unnoticed. Other than love, nothing else has the potential to impact us as fully and completely as the laws of our state, our country, and our world.

Rather than detail how I could possibly invent the next breakthrough legal system, one that could lead to human equality for all, world peace, or any other dramatic change; I would rather share with you some of the ideas I’ve gathered over the past several years. My hope is that my ideas will resonate within you and create an impact on your own life, one for the better. In receiving a legal education, I am of the firm belief that combined with these ideas; I can make our world a better place.

My work experience thus far has taught me some valuable lessons about life. For example, I have learned that business organizations are usually driven by a strong monetary incentive. The end goal of most businesses is about their bottom line. How much profit will they make at the end of their fiscal year? How can they increase their profit? What can they do to bring in even more money?

I am not stating that financial success is an inadequate dream, or even something that should be ignored. Financial success is definitely a worthy goal. What I am stating, however, is that the notion of earning more money isn’t nearly as important as nurturing the idea of loving the workplace. Of believing that what you do for a living can, and will, have an impact on yourself, your surroundings, and ultimately – will change not only your world, but the world of those in your life, and beyond. This philosophy is simple, and well-known, but unfortunately not utilized enough, in my opinion. One person can make a difference; this has been proven many times over. One person can topple that first domino over to create a rippling effect that will reach dozens, hundreds, thousands – and in some cases, millions of others.

I have been very fortunate to be an integral part of my family’s business, which is focused on providing a service that has the ability to change people’s lives. When I was given the task of managing a newly opened branch office of my family’s business, at first, I was slightly overwhelmed and unsure of my capabilities. I had just returned from college, my family was at the head office in another country, and I had very little emotional support. All in all, I worried that the responsibilities I was given would prove to be too much for me to keep up with at my age at the time. It was scary, exhilarating, and educating – all at once. I have since managed the Miami branch of my family’s business for the past three years. This has encompassed many challenges, including the managing of five staff members, all of which are older than me.

I learned that I did have the capability of successfully running this branch of my family’s business while continuing my education, but I also learned a far greater lesson. This lesson has become a pivotal goal in my life. This goal is to be able to change the world that surrounds me by utilizing my knowledge in order to alter and shape the lives of others. By furthering my education, I give myself a richer well of knowledge to reach into, in order to share with others, and to make a difference. My tool in fulfilling my goal is my education, and this is the best mechanism, combined with my heart, that I can offer to the people in my every day environment, the people I work with, and specifically, the people to whom I provide a service to.

I’ve had many sleepless nights as a result of combining my college studies with my work responsibilities, and I found that while there are numerous things key to my overall success, the most important of them all is love. Ultimately, it’s the love for what I do that creates the energy within me that allows me to succeed. Without this love, this energy, I would be floundering. My dream is to share this energy with others, and to do so in the way I envision, it is necessary for me to continue my education at Florida International University.

So yes, changing the world may sound pretentious, but if each of us love what we do and share that love with others, just imagine the difference we can make. Especially when what we do is as encompassing in people’s lives as the law is. By increasing my knowledge in law, by loving what I do, by caring about the people in my life, I can change the world. So can you, so can my classmates, so can my coworkers. Each of us in this world has a responsibility. I, simply, want to have the education necessary to step up to my responsibility in the best way I know how.

Receiving a legal education from Florida International University is the first step to achieving my goal. From there, the possibilities in front of me are endless.

Written by Tracy Leigh Ritts