My Plan and Purpose
"Lives of great men all remind us, We can make our lives sublime, And departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time." - A Psalm of Life by Henry W. Longfellow
At the time of this writing, I have commenced my first year's studies at the Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University. I am busily going about returning to a life more ordinary than what I experienced this summer, when I was at basic training for the National Guard at Ft. Knox, Ky. Actually, the training was more worthwhile than I'd anticipated - I'm proud to say that I was even awarded the Abrams Award for being the top soldier in the cycle.
In May I returned from Belfast, Northern Ireland, where I attended The Queen's University as an Ambassadorial Scholar of the Rotary Foundation. My course of study was Political Theory and Social Criticism, and my most immediate goal is to finish my Master's thesis by January 15.
I am presently a Specialist in the 281st PSD, Army National Guard, which is based at Ft. Indiantown Gap. I will be attending AIT next summer at Ft. Jackson, SC.
Having begun my career at Dickinson, I expect to spend much of the next few years in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Having been blessed with a full tuition scholarship, I intend to specialize in criminal law, but I also have every intention of participating in the joint-degree program in pursuance of a Master's of Public Administration. While in law school I will pursue any opportunity to work with the District Attorney's Office.
Once I have earned my J.D. and M.P.A. I hope to be fully employed by either the District Attorney's office (Dauphin County), the Pennsylvania Senate Judiciary Committee (provided the Republicans still hold control of that chamber), or serve in a judicial clerkship. I also plan on enlisting in the Pennsylvania National Guard Judge Advocate General Corps.
In areas not directly related to employment, I see myself being very active in a variety of civic organizations: the Knights of Columbus, the local Republican Committee, the Rotary Club, and the Boy Scouts of America. I may pursue Civil War Reenacting, but I also hope to take up hunting and fishing as serious hobbies.
Anything outside of my current five-year horizon is very difficult to predict. Generally speaking, I would like to be active in politics and raise a traditional family. I expect to live the rest of my life in Central Pennsylvania, but I would like to own a country residence where I can enjoy a retirement surrounded by wilderness. I hope to take my second trip to Philmont Scout Reservation in the summer of 2002, and to complete the Susquehanna River Trail and the Mason Dixon Trail by that time. In the distant future, I would like to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail in one trip.