trendingjupiter
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In February 2010 myself and my friend who lived upstairs from me at college were charged with shoplifting at a mall. The incident itself occurred when we were both 18, and it was our first semester at Rutgers University. I am from Upstate New York and found it to be extremely large and different in comparison to the small private high school I attended, and in all honestly found it difficult to cope. The mall where the incident occurred was--unfortunately for us--a high-end shopping center, and thus the value of the merchandise, albeit only an item or so each, resulted in an indictable offense.
It was the case that this period in my life, three years ago, was characterized by an episode of mania. At the same time that I was getting arrested, going to court, and attending classes and social functions, I was deeply involved in extra-curricular activities that placed me at the forefront of student life. I met Chris Christie twice, read news on the school radio, and engaged in discussion about the state of the University with Trustee members and its President. I even wrote jokes for the satire paper.
My level of productivity, born from recklessness and an asinine level of confidence, was nearly superhuman. I didn't want to tell my parents that I had done something so wrong. I kept it from them. I hired a lawyer in Newark who agreed to accept a $2500 retainer and we went to court. My friend, who couldn't afford a private lawyer, coattailed off my defense.
I plead to the DP theft conviction, a 'Class C Misdemeanor', if I'm correct. My ability to cope at school by busying myself endlessly, coupled with the confusion related to this incident, resulted in a severe bout of depression in 2011. I took medical leave for the spring semester, spent a week at UMDNJ receiving a psych evaluation, and was diagnosed as bipolar.
I transferred schools, moved to Manhattan that summer, took a job as a waitress, and didn't grasp the gravity of my conviction, or come to terms with my illness, until now. I live a normal life, am stabilized with medication and see a psychiatrist monthly. My parents learned of my conviction from a letter they received at the house shortly after I moved. They are very supportive.
I ended up enrolling in Fashion school. I thought that the classes, being more pointed in their scope, would focus me so that I could relax and feel more certain about having a skill-set in a field that merges both business and creativity. I have begun applying to jobs as a Sales Associate in retail stores. On the one application that asked, I was honest about my record. I get that the journey is the destination here, and that my trajectory has been skewed by my own skewedness, but my question is, how can I most positively affect my chances of employment, being someone who is ambitious and otherwise enfranchised?
It was the case that this period in my life, three years ago, was characterized by an episode of mania. At the same time that I was getting arrested, going to court, and attending classes and social functions, I was deeply involved in extra-curricular activities that placed me at the forefront of student life. I met Chris Christie twice, read news on the school radio, and engaged in discussion about the state of the University with Trustee members and its President. I even wrote jokes for the satire paper.
My level of productivity, born from recklessness and an asinine level of confidence, was nearly superhuman. I didn't want to tell my parents that I had done something so wrong. I kept it from them. I hired a lawyer in Newark who agreed to accept a $2500 retainer and we went to court. My friend, who couldn't afford a private lawyer, coattailed off my defense.
I plead to the DP theft conviction, a 'Class C Misdemeanor', if I'm correct. My ability to cope at school by busying myself endlessly, coupled with the confusion related to this incident, resulted in a severe bout of depression in 2011. I took medical leave for the spring semester, spent a week at UMDNJ receiving a psych evaluation, and was diagnosed as bipolar.
I transferred schools, moved to Manhattan that summer, took a job as a waitress, and didn't grasp the gravity of my conviction, or come to terms with my illness, until now. I live a normal life, am stabilized with medication and see a psychiatrist monthly. My parents learned of my conviction from a letter they received at the house shortly after I moved. They are very supportive.
I ended up enrolling in Fashion school. I thought that the classes, being more pointed in their scope, would focus me so that I could relax and feel more certain about having a skill-set in a field that merges both business and creativity. I have begun applying to jobs as a Sales Associate in retail stores. On the one application that asked, I was honest about my record. I get that the journey is the destination here, and that my trajectory has been skewed by my own skewedness, but my question is, how can I most positively affect my chances of employment, being someone who is ambitious and otherwise enfranchised?
