The Wisdom of Six Years

Today I met with a student who could possibly fit our empty slot in the Michigan in Washington program. It was so enjoyable to talk to her! We spent a full 45 minutes discussing the program and her life goals. It's amazing how you can just instantly click with some people. This student was one of these people. As she recounted her dashed hopes for attending law school and the resulting malaise of having your life plan pulled out from under you, I could not help but think of myself at that age. I grew up believing I would be a politician or a lawyer. After interning in DC and taking a practice LSAT, I knew that these two options were not the best for me. I know what I am doing is what I should be doing, but I remember the effects of starting all over. Confronting the reality that who you think you should be isn't who you will end up being is difficult to say the least. There may be no more central question than that regarding identity, and if you have already envisioned yourself to be one thing, having that identity wrestled away from you leaves you wondering who you are.