About Me

They say never to believe your own P.R., so this page has been created with a grain of salt.

As Brennan says, 

When I get honest,
I admit I am a bundle of paradoxes.
  I believe and I doubt...
    I love and I hate...
     Aristotle said I am a rational animal;
        I say I am an angel
           with an incredible capacity for beer.

I too am a bundle of paradoxes, just ask my accountability partner.

Nonetheless, I’ve long thought I should introduce myself on this website. This is especially important now that I’m getting visitors who aren’t necessarily my close friends.

So, with that said the following is my P.R.

I’ve decided to post this “Personal Statement” which I wrote for my law school application last year. Instead of restating my core beliefs, it articulates my stage in life & goals. It is a little self congratulatory, but I was coached to write just such an essay. Please consider my original audience when reading it.

I am pursuing an education in law to build upon my foundation laid through work and personal experiences. While an undergraduate student I cultivated an analytical mindset under a technical curriculum. As a citizen I am making lasting contributions to my community through volunteering and investing time in urban youth. I have a world view salted through extensive travel and cultural exchange. Professionally, I have three years of full time career experience.

In my studies at Texas A&M Universityâ??s Dwight Look College of Engineering I learned valuable problem solving, goal setting, and team work principles. I developed an analytical mindset to face the challenges of kinematics, dynamics and momentum, subject areas I ultimately tutored underclassmen in. Systematic problem solving led me to equally organized goal setting. Another advantage of studying engineering was the opportunity to work on projects in groups. A collaborative learning environment provided an opportunity to utilize communication skills and leadership as a part of the process.

I have committed myself to public service by seeking influential settings to serve others. For two years I volunteered at Hamilton Texas Youth Commission, a juvenile correctional institution in Bryan, Texas. On a weekly basis I entered the prison to encourage and reform the teenagers needing someone to believe in them. My volunteer work continues at Houstonâ??s Youth Development Center (YDC), an after school literacy program devoted to inspire, equip, and guide students of Houstonâ??s First Ward. By sharing my varied background I help administrate YDCâ??s computers and tutor the students in math, physics, and music. In addition to YDC, I also mentor urban youth at Houstonâ??s Impact Church. I invest myself in the studentsâ?? lives to earn their trust and model responsibility for them. While mentoring, I work to establish them as solid citizens, students, and leaders to face the challenges of the inner city.

Seeking knowledge I travel to nurture greater tolerance, cultural sensitivity, and perspective. Since 1998, I have visited sixteen different countries on four different continents, often staying in the homes of families. The variety and frequency of my travels have well prepared me to think on my feet and embrace different viewpoints. While in Guatemala I attended intensive Spanish language training. In West Africa, I consulted for Marathon Oil Company and endured a coup attempt by South African mercenaries. I climbed Mount Fuji in Japan. In Russia, I rode a train across five hundred miles of the former Soviet block. I cycled throughout the Alps in Austria. In northern Thailand, I rode and elephant through the jungle. I learned of the economic strength of Southeast Asia while in Singapore. Cumulatively these experiences have provided the broad perspective from which I see the world and people different from myself.

Only three years out of undergraduate study, I have a diverse and flourishing career to build upon. While at Ocean Energy, Inc. I streamlined business processes and earned a promotion within my first year. I was invited onto focus groups and mobilization efforts where I helped to improve in-house and external communication. When Ocean Energy was unexpectedly subsumed by Devon Energy, Inc. my experience and professional network earned me a new job at Mustang Engineering, L.P. immediately. At Mustang Engineering I consult for many of the energy industryâ??s biggest companies in their most ambitious projects. These real world experiences are a basis for my legal education. My market perspective gives me insight into the complexities of modern business.

I am a well rounded candidate as demonstrated by my technical background, public service record, worldwide viewpoint, and career success. Already trained in analytical thinking I will have an advantage in class and career. As an attorney I aspire to continue down the path of public service. With my international experiences I will be able to carry my legal skills into any setting. Finally, my opportunities stand to be more diverse due to my three years experience. I believe these characteristics represent my foundation for success as a member of the legal community.