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Of my actual performance, I remember little other than the song I sang. I walked away from that middle school talent show with a couple things, however. First, I walked away with much-improved confidence in my singing ability, only strengthened by the first place trophy I now held in my once-clammy hands. More importantly, I left that gym with the ability to share my passion for music with the world. That seemingly insignificant Friday would go on to be one of the most transformative experiences of my life. Music would become the medium through which I would communicate with the world. Before I had the confidence to share my music with others, I was shy, reserved, and effectively unable to communicate my thoughts and emotions to anyone beyond my inner circle. Through sharing my music with others, I transformed and strengthened my ability to communicate and express myself.
The ability to express myself through music began to open doors that once seemed sealed shut. I started to find myself placed into roles which required me to communicate with others in order to leverage their potential to meet their aspirations. I assumed leadership roles in which I individually-tailored my approach in order to assist others in reaching their goals. Bridging this gap between communication and action became a defining characteristic of my academic career. Through working as a student orientation staffer to connect students with the resources they needed to succeed academically, pushing new fraternity brothers to leadership roles both within and outside our chapter, and motivating over sixty students to raise tens of thousands of dollars to fight pediatric cancer, I began to pride myself on my ability to transform words into action.
Transforming words into action requires the ability and willingness to seize opportunities as they present themselves. My experiences have revealed to me the rarity of good opportunities and the hard work which goes into creating and taking advantage of them. As a first generation college student, I watched my family work tirelessly so that I might one day be able to pursue higher education. That opportunity is not granted to everyone. My grandmother had no education beyond the third grade. Neither of my parents have a diploma from a four-year institution. I saw my father work sixty-hour weeks just to ensure that I would have the financial means to attend college. I saw my mother selflessly tackle three jobs just so I could participate in trips and extracurriculars activities, without which I would likely not be where I am today. Sacrifice and hard work have gifted me with the ability to now seek postgraduate education. These things drive my ambition. Many people have sacrificed abundantly so that I might be able to pursue my ambitions without reservation: I refuse to squander the opportunity which I have been afforded.
My family’s great sacrifice created many opportunities for which I will always be grateful. In trying to take advantage of every opportunity that presented itself, though, I was left with little time to further pursue a future in music. However, each opportunity I availed myself of shared a common theme, a theme which would allow me to realize my highest ambition: facilitating opportunities for others. They each showed me that I can find purpose by ensuring that others have the same opportunity to express themselves as I once found in music. Creating and protecting these opportunities is what drives me to pursue a career in law.
The law provides special protections that help to foster the creativity of others. As an attorney, I would like to protect this creativity by specializing in intellectual property and patent law. I want to protect individuals’ creations so that they can continue to share their passions and ideas with the world. While I do have an immense love of music, my greatest love is for creativity. Society has been propelled forward by great innovations from the minds of creative individuals. It is my aspiration to protect those artists, engineers, and thinkers. I want to ensure that their creations are used and implemented as they intended.
My story is the story of opportunities given, opportunities taken, and opportunities created for others. My life — a life filled with hesitance, sacrifice, and overcoming obstacles — has led me to create opportunities for others, break down barriers to their success, and foster the creativity which so purely pushes this world forward. As an attorney, I will not squander the opportunities gifted to me, and I will stand firmly on the sacrifices of those who came before me in order to give the same gift to those who have much to share.
Grayson Ford is a McConnell Scholar in the class of 2021. He is studying political science and economics at the University of Louisville.