ESSAY PROMPT: Please compose a 600-700 word essay that addresses each of the following: Describe a need within your community. What do you plan to study after high school? How will your future education help you impact that need within your community?

Gene Denton 22

Growing up, not knowing how and when bills and rent were going to be paid on time was something I hated witnessing in my family. I was not too fond of the look on my mother’s face when she received our bills of the month from the mail. She would discuss her concerns with family members facing the same struggle. Viewing the financial problems my family had endured resided with me as I grew older until I realized that other families in my community also faced the same battle. 

Today’s lifestyle makes it difficult for families to pay bills, rent, gas, groceries, clothing, etc. Inflation on groceries is going through the roof to the point where buying twenty items at a local store costs over a hundred instead of ten. It is hard to see that the nation hasn’t changed in making life easy for low-income families. Households have gone to the point where they would starve themselves, so basic needs like water and electricity could stay on. It is upsetting to see families, including mines, struggle in a country that is supposed to help them. 

After high school, I plan on attending the University of Kansas City – Missouri, to pursue a law enforcement and social services degree. I will take classes such as criminal justice, human behavior, mental health, child development, sociology, psychology, etc. These classes will allow me to understand how to improve today’s society positively. I will also join clubs in my college years that highlight the problems and solutions with the government’s financial systems. 

With these degrees, I will be able to work within the community. I want to open a community resource center where families can ask for help, big or small, without feeling ashamed. This community resource center will include programs like healthcare, housing, head start, etc. Programs like Lifeline and Low-Income Home Energy will also be accessible in my center. These programs help families get discounted landline and cell phone services and defer home energy bill costs. 

Everyone today puts on a mask to hide from others instead of just reaching out for help. People consider using benefits like FoodStamps or Child’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to provide for their families embarrassing. They would rather struggle than ask for help, but my resource center will allow people to come together and ask for help without sounding needy. I want parents to come in and say they are struggling to pay their bills, secure a  job, or have a tough time dealing with personal problems. Having a safe space for parents to communicate about their issues without feeling perceived as needy is a good way for them to trust each other and the idea of having their children around others.

The education I will receive while attending the University of Kansas City – Missouri, will prepare me to open and administer my resource center. Every class I’ll take will be used and considered to help my community. Becoming a police officer will allow me to educate the public on public safety issues and highlight the dangers going around the neighborhood. I will be able to create a genuine bond with community members. I will also create a better relationship with the police department and the community. Having the community trust the police department instead of fearing them is essential. I want people to know that not all police are wrong and that the majority of the officers in our city would love to help make a positive impact on their community. This community is something I would never turn my back on since I have family and friends here and because I considered it a part of my childhood that I grew to love.

 

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