Anderson, Alexander MichaelLSAC Account #: L33147645

Personal Statement 1

The place I call home is a small, rugged town teetering on the border of Eastern Kentucky and

Southern West Virginia, separated by nothing more than the murky waters of the Tug River, in a valley

between the peaks of the Appalachian Mountains. The decaying town of South Williamson, located in the

area of economic fluctuation known as the coal fields, forged my view of life that may be described by a

single word-“believe.” The people around me believed. The miners believed in returning home with coal

dust covered faces every night to provide for their families. The women at the church believed in stirring

their apple butter in the late summer sun to produce the best flavor. The basketball coaches believed in

getting ahead of the competition through early morning practices. And I believed in becoming the best

person I could become. I believed in my own works, the pursuit of meaning, and in bringing pride to my

family and my hometown. I still do.

In my elementary years, I became attached to literature. I found solace in the challenge The

Hardy Boys presented. When the smell of fresh cut grass receded to memory and the leaves began to turn

orange, I checked out various volumes of the detective work from the school library. I poured over the

words on the yellowing pages, vividly picturing the end game of the mystery at hand. These books served

as precursors to greater works, yet they taught me to follow a logical train of thought and look deeper into

the pages in search of the elusive truth hidden within the text.

My preoccupation with literature bled over into the political writings in local newspapers, as I

could now comprehend the issues at hand. While most were more interested in tuning their bows in

preparation of deer hunting season and finding the prettiest cheerleader in school to wear their football

jersey, I turned my attention to the upcoming state senate election. As a child of school teachers, and a

young mind eager to learn, the school system’s struggle to provide quality resources concerned me. One

candidate promised to address this issue. I believed in him not only as a lawyer and politician, but also as

a man. To support him, I telephoned voters, placed signs in high traffic areas of my neighborhood, and

attended rallies. Upon his election, he invited me to serve as a page at the Kentucky State Senate. I felt a

Anderson, Alexander MichaelLSAC Account #: L33147645

Personal Statement 2

part of the legislative process as I carried bills and amendments from his desk. I believed that he was

making a difference, and I wanted to one day study law after I saw the impact the discipline carries.

I spent afternoons playing basketball on the cracked concrete court known as “The Cage,” and

visiting the local drive-in for milkshakes, then prepared for AP exams at night. After graduating at the top

of my small senior class, I elected to further my education at the local community college. The higher

degree in difficulty of collegiate English courses furthered my love for writing. Arthur Miller sold me on

his screenplays, and the metamorphosing writings of Franz Kafka changed my view of literature by

viewing the texts through different perspectives. I continued to believe in the meaning behind the written

word through my senior year, when I transferred to the University of Pikeville.

I now had access to the resources of Pike County’s flagship university. No longer confined to the

incomplete volumes of literary criticism and history resting on the library shelves of the community

college, I immersed myself in Old Historicism, Formalism, Marxism, Feminism, Romanticism, and my

personal favorites, Modernism and Post-Modernism. I searched the fragmented works of William

Faulkner, Hunter S. Thompson, Kurt Vonnegut, and T.S. Elliot for true meaning within the imagery and

character they put on the page. The knowledge of these criticisms and periods reinforced my own creative

writing. My writings were accepted to an international literary conference in Portland, Oregon, where I

placed in the top three creative writers in the world. It is thanks to my small town upbringing that I

developed my sense of perseverance. The miners and teachers who faced both natural and economical

obstacles due to the structure of Appalachian living have shown me the value of working hard, and

believing in your work. These people and principles motivated me to become a self-made accomplished

undergraduate writer. However, the experience did not push me toward the pursuit of an M.F.A degree,

but rather steeled my desire to study law.

Language is a lawyer’s tool. The ability to write and speak with fluent precision, communicate

thoughts clearly, and comb statements for hidden subtleties are reinforced through the study of English. I

Anderson, Alexander MichaelLSAC Account #: L33147645

Personal Statement 3

believe in making a difference in people’s lives through the judicial system. For these reasons, I am an

excellent candidate for admittance to your law school. I possess extensive literary skills, I offer diversity

through my geographical background, and most importantly, I believe in my abilities, the practice of law,

and the pursuit of order. I anticipate the further development of my skills and knowledge that the study of

law will bring.