Rejected from Law School? I just got my letter too…

Kūpaʻa wau a Onipaʻa wau. (unstoppable and immovable)

I prepared myself for this.  It’s always nice to have life roll according to plan, but sometimes God throws us blessings in disguise.  Last year, snags in the road led me to reach a new level of maturity that I otherwise, if planning went accordingly, wouldn’t have.  This year, I am hoping for a similar experience.

I have to concede to the admissions committee that although I felt ready for law school, my heart was not completely set on powering through three years of relative solitude starting this fall.  From my studies in an older cohort to recent community involvement, I have been learning so much about myself as an ethical, value-driven adult and professional, as well as where my niche may lie in Hawaii.  This rejection is just an opportunity to give more and grow more—now, rather than later.  Breaking stride just doesn’t feel fully pono.

At least not just yet.

Resilience is an over-mentioned subject in modern leadership books, but it is what is real, what is needed, and what is good.  I could dwell on and complain about how the admissions committee seemingly doesn’t value community involvement and passion for public service as they perhaps should, or I could assume that they looked over my application wholly, impartially, and meticulously, and they too understood that it is just not the right time for me.  The latter is a more positive and productive perspective all around.

Keep looking ahead.

Next year, with my MPA completed, I plan on applying to George Washington University (second choice), a few other schools, and definitely UH again.   I will be sure to set a meeting with the admission’s director of UH over the summer to go over my application.  But with a stronger application, it won’t just be UH or bust next time around.

Following a three month temporary work opportunity with City Council Member Stanley Chang begining April 4th, which I am very grateful and excited for, I am looking to retake the LSAT in June—yes June, right around the corner—while interning at Common Cause in Washington, D.C., and aim for over score of 170 this time around.  From practice tests, this looks likely as long as I don’t let my nerves get the best of be like they did last December.  Ahh…that dreadful December test…

My Master’s coursework should be completed by the end of this summer or fall.  Fortunately, I have been performing much better in my MPA program than during my undergraduate years without being as heavily involved in co-curriculars.  So, I hope that a solid graduate transcript may help to offset my relatively low undergraduate GPA–please admissions committee, cut me some slack!

From my MPA program, I am also expecting much more personal and thereby valuable letters of recommendations from highly-regarded professors and community leaders that have been heavily involved in my mentorship and education throughout the past year.  I will submit a personal statement similar the one I submitted this year, emphasizing my passion for giving back to Hawaii and especially the Native Hawaiian community.  Maybe I’ll add just a little about what I learned from this experience.  This time, I’ll submit my applications first thing in November to get on the top of the pile.

So, it’s a new plan.  I guess my point is to forget the failed plan, make a new one, and if that one doesn’t work, make a new one. The main thing is you keep a steadfast set of challenging goals. Long-term plans aren’t always the best idea, but long-term goals are.  Let the path/plan change, but keep your vision clear and the destination in sight, and keep moving even if it looks like it’s only getting further away.

That rejection email is not the best thing to wake up to, but talk about character building!  At 22, I have experienced endless failures: job interviews, appointments, blown sales pitches, applications for state positions, deadlines, elections, etc.

I have suffered at least 10 rejections or failures for every acceptance or success.  Yes, rejections hurt, but they are merely the cost that one must pay for continued zeal and ambition.  I have found that it is always better to take risks towards your goals than to settle for anything less.  From what I have seen, at least in my short lifetime thus far, complacency does not couple with growth as a leader.

If you aren’t there yet, don’t get comfortable.  A saying goes, “In order for a man to discover new oceans, he must lose sight of the shore.” The bottom line is, you just need to constantly be putting yourself on the line in order to achieve anything good in life or for society.

This blow is unprecedented in my life so far.  Hundreds of hours and hundreds of dollars went into this application, and my undergraduate work was all geared toward this application as well.  How I respond to this, keep my head up, and bounce back will surely be a testament to my character.

*long sigh*

In the meantime, I need to take a break today, go to the beach, surf, float, run, walk, sit, lie, and just exist for a while…

Love you guys.

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