The writer wants to be selected for Santee Cooper's summer internship program. They discuss having an uncertain career path throughout their life, but finding purpose after overcoming personal struggles and becoming a parent. They believe their life experiences have given them qualities like empathy, determination, and critical thinking that would make them an excellent intern. They see the internship as an opportunity to start a new chapter in their life and work towards positive change.

1. Crystal Rhodes
1 January 2016
Santee Cooper
Summer Internship 2016
Why I Should Be Selected to Be an Intern
I haven’t always known what I wanted to do with my life and it could easily
transition from one minute to the next. When I was a small child I wanted to be a
veterinarian. As I evolved into a teenager I thought an architect that provided
sustainable housing for people was my path. As a young adult I longed to be
involved in human medicine. All of these things had a common thread. I wanted
to help and create change in the world. However, in the face of tragic events I
lost my way, and through irrational choices, I came close to losing my life. In one
transformative moment, a shift began inside of me that led me on a path of
creating the change I had dreamt of as a child. First, however, that change had to
happen within me.
The writer Haruki Murakami said, “Once the storm is over, you won’t
remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t
even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When
you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s
what this storm’s all about.” This is how I view my life when I look back. It has
been a storm with periods more dark than others, and moments of clarity with
brilliant light. I endured a troubled childhood of abandonment, illness, the loss of
loved ones, and turmoil. As I crested into the age of adulthood, I endured the
death of my first child followed by my own encounter with my mortality. All of
these events led me down a dark path of self-destructive behavior. The storm
that raged within was on the precipice of ending my life. Thankfully, in one
moment of clarity, everything changed. I discovered I was pregnant and the birth
of my daughter nine months later was the moment I began to come out of the
storm.

2. Change is not easy. Quite frankly, I find it to be terrifying. Nothing changes
you more and shows you what real fear is, like being a parent. You lose the
ability to be selfish, and up until this point in my life, I had chosen a selfish path. I
had also struggled with the desire to remain in control of every aspect of my life.
Being a mom showed me that you must go with the flow of things because with
children, life is rarely in control. Knowing that you are responsible for that
individual for the next eighteen years is the scariest part of all. What if you teach
them wrong, or guide them down the wrong path? I believe there is nothing more
life changing and terrifying than becoming a parent, but it also shows you just
how strong, amendable, determined and resilient you can be.
That determination can carry you a long way. Those life lessons you are
given as a parent make you a better person as a whole. I went on to have a son
and every day that I spend with my children gives me the drive to do great things.
In my early thirties, I entered back into college with the goal of showing them that
no matter your age or the struggles you have faced, you can do whatever you put
your mind to.
While in college, I continued to experience growth. I came to college
believing that I would follow a path into human medicine. Eventually my mind
moved on to genetics but I still wasn’t settled in my career choice. Ultimately, a
biology unit on conservation showed me where I wanted to be. This is how I
ended up as a Wildlife and Fisheries Biology Major at Clemson. Having a goal at
the end of a winding road gives you something to move towards. Creating lasting
change on this planet so that I leave my children a better place to live is a goal
worth fighting for.
I believe the things that will make me an excellent intern and future
employee is my age, life experience and determination. Some may believe that
my age is a hindrance. My age could possibly make me slower than my younger
counterparts, but it also gives me the ability to pause and think, rather than use
rushed judgment. My life experience has given me the gift of empathy and
understanding. It allows me to see the world and processes events with open
eyes rather than preconceived notions. I have endured situations that have

3. shown me that life is not always black and white and we must be able to adjust.
My age also brings determination. I have already squandered many years and I
know that I have to make the ones I have left count. I have two individuals who
depend on me and in order to succeed I must remain focused. I often find in my
classes that I am the parental figure. I mentor students, give them sound
motherly advice, and emerge as a leader in situations where critical thinking is
required. All of these qualities set me apart from the younger applicants to the
program. But I am also old enough that I have lost the cocky arrogance of my
youth. This has given me the ability to understand I do not know everything, and
each moment in life is a chance to learn and grow. I carry a significant strain in
my college journey because I have greater responsibilities at home and
sometimes I realize that I am losing the experience that college life can bring.
Thanks to my younger counterparts, I have learned to enjoy the experience and
a little more. For me, the ability for each of us to give something emotional and
intellectual to one another is what life is really about. I hope to give all of my
positive attributes, while gaining experience and knowledge from those around
me.
Chico Xavier once said, “Though nobody can go back and make a new
beginning… Anyone can start over and making a new ending.” I can never go
back and correct my mistakes or change the tragedies of my part. Truth be told,
every event I have ever lived through, be it by choice or chance, has made me
the individual I am today. I believe I am stronger and better for it. I cannot change
the past, but I am living in the moment with the chance to make a new ending. I
hope to be granted the opportunity to write a future chapter of my life with a
company ready to help me start a new journey.