Knowing What You Don't Know

Knowing What You Don't Know

The most important lesson WAIP has taught me is that walking the “Straight and Narrow” is safe and unrealistic. Not one day has gone by where I haven’t learned about a career path or opportunity formerly unknown to me. Since my freshman year of college, my preferred path has been to attend law school immediately after undergrad and to pursue altruistic legal work. In my altruistic pursuit, I became interested in civil rights and human rights law – and still am. Yet now as my summer comes to a close, my path is anything but clear, and what were once successive steps are now benchmarks in my outline for the future.  

This is not to say I have been discouraged in my career goals or disillusioned in any way; rather I have experienced the opposite. I have been nothing but encouraged by many to pursue the law, and have received advice and perspective from policy makers and lawyers alike. The funny thing about nature of learning is that the more knowledge you absorb, the more questions you have. Coming to Washington, D.C. I expected to learn more about the types of law and ways to practice it while pursuing public interest. In asking those questions, the answers I received divulged so much more. The Washington response to a question about one’s career is always a story of passion, confusion and persistence. Very few people in the district hold a job for more than 3 years because they are seeking the next prospect (a curious notion for Midwesterners bred to go straight through school into a job that you should hold for at least 5 years before considering a change) and a common trait to each tale is openness – to change, to ideas, and to new opportunities. In discussing law school with folks, the same has been clear. The concept of going straight through undergrad into law school then into a job is rare in Washington. Perhaps this is a product of the general population’s combination of drive and curiosity leading them down many paths, or perhaps its because many needed time to be sure law school was the right investment. Either way, I was startled. Having spent this past year taking the “proper” steps for pursuing law school after graduation, I stubbornly disregarded any advice to take a gap year or to work first. But I was playing the fool, so sure of something I knew so little about.

I wouldn’t want to confuse my current state with one of doubt. I now know that I want to pursue a career in law, having been challenged to reflect on and defend why I am pursing it. Now the question is, when do I begin? If I had asked myself to consider this question before WAIP the answer would have been short, sweet, and utterly uninformed. Now, my answer is less clear but my outlook is much brighter. WAIP has opened my eyes to the endless opportunities available for young people interested in law and public policy, taught me that no path is set in stone, and that there will always be a Buckeye close by to lend a hand.

This summer I set out to find clarity and the pathway best suited for me, but what I found was immensely more valuable. Life is wonderfully unpredictable, making it essential to live with clear values, because little else is within your control. The implications of this for me may mean taking time off after graduation to explore or finding security in my decision to attend law school next fall. Either way, my experience in WAIP has cultivated a professional and personal confidence in knowing that it will all be okay, no matter what I decide. Ultimately, the clarity I’ve found is certainty in my passion for justice, no matter my path. As it turns out, knowing what you don't know is equally as illuminating and more exciting than having all the pieces to the puzzle.

My best advice to anyone reading this post is to continuously evaluate and reevaluate your reasons for pursing something. Time may be scarce, but the opportunities are endless. If one path isn’t working for you, the road less traveled by is never far off. Lead with your values, let them nurture your goals, and keep an open mind. It will all be okay.

Just You Wait

By: Sara Wendel