Reflective Essay about The Power of Change

I remember walking into the courtroom on that vibrant Monday. A feeling of excitement rushed through my body as I was attended my first trial. I stepped into the silent room filled with people. I remember the faces, the intensity, how it made me feel. In my junior year of high school, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work under a judge’s chambers out of the Brooklyn Federal Court House. I was in disbelief. I had not planned to follow a legal career path. I didn’t even know I was interested. During that year I had made one of the biggest transitions moving from Jacksonville, Florida to Brooklyn, New York. I dreaded this move but look where I was, how could I hate a place that had allowed me to intern with the Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship? I was a part of an internship program that included the name of a Supreme Court Justice, how could I not love it. 

I believe in change. It may seem so silly to believe in something that just occurs throughout life, but I believe that change is what has driven my life. Change is what motivates one to keep moving forward and in other instances, it is what scares people from moving forward. Unfortunately, change does not always allow things to fit perfectly together like a puzzle. Throughout history, we are inspired to make the world a better place. Is there any progress being made if people don’t follow through or act? 

Coming from a military family I have experienced change my entire life. I have had the opportunity to interact with people from all different cultures and states, but this move was one of my biggest turning points. Throughout my internship I was able to sit in during trials, I was able to learn first-hand from a judge, but what stood out to me the most was the people I was able to speak with. I had loved my experience. Their stories resonated with me. Women in history have struggled to make their way into the business world. Sitting through their stories, the treatment they had received, and comments they had been told. People always say we need more women in the legal field, but where is the support for those who decide to join. They shared their interactions where they were told to “leave the room and let the boys talk business” and being told to “choose their career or a family,” those are the comments that drive me to do more. As a young woman who wants to pursue this field, I want to do it for myself and the women who worked their way to get into this field. 

That’s why I think change is so powerful. Change applies to everything in life. Not only did this shift my perspective, but it motivated me to want to make a change. Coming from a traveling home my parent encouraged my growth and to taste new experiences. My goal is to make a change, be a mentor for those young women who have been pushed away from the field because of fear. I believe in the power of change. A change that tramples over the fear set by standards in the field. A change motivates, inspires, and promotes a shift in the future. One that makes new pieces of a puzzle fit the old to take a better picture.