My Passion for Public Service: College Admission Essay Sample

For more than three generations, my family has answered the call of elected public office. My father served in the State Legislature, my Grandfather and Great Grandfather as locally elected officials. Most teenagers my age have a passion for sports or the latest video games, but I would much rather watch a debate or a Congressional hearing. Since I can remember, I have always done my best to increase my friends' political participation through discussion and debate. It is every citizen's civic duty to be informed about the government and to know as much as possible about those who serve. It is not enough that we vote; rather, we must be educated participants.

Essentially, this means that politics is in my blood and always will be. From an early age, I can remember my father delivering his impassioned speeches from the floor of the Rhode Island House of Representatives. As a child, I would walk door to door with my father as he handed out flyers and informed voters of his campaign policies. Fast-forward ten years to the 2012 presidential election and now I am a 15-year-old campaign worker, going door to door yet again. Most of the time the homeowner would open the door and be shocked at how young I was to be working on a campaign. Sometimes that homeowner would even ask me why I was wasting my weekend passing out flyers. I would just smile and say, "I can't think of anything more important than doing my part to help the right candidate be elected to the office.

As I matured, my life in politics matured and expanded. One of my main high school goals freshman year was to get more high school students involved in the presidential and Virginia state elections. This is why I joined Junior Statesmen of America (JSA), a fun way to educate my classmates about the candidates and their policies. We even set up a mock election and had students fill out a realistic ballot. Then, I joined the Model United Nations. This club appealed to me because politics are not all about campaigning and domestic issues: foreign policy is increasingly urgent. Model UN granted me the opportunity to learn about global issues and debate like-minded students on how to solve complex problems, affirming my passion for foreign policy issues as they relate to our country's place in the world. Although I realize that public service involves backyards here at home, I also understand the importance of backyards around the globe.

Everyone has something in life to be passionate about: I was fortunate to find my passion at an early age. At eighteen, I feel proud to be able to say that I have already made a difference in our government and am fulfilling my civic duty. But as I look to the future and my college education, I am excited about the challenges ahead and the new experience life has in store for me, as I do my part "to form a more perfect union."