Marine Corps Career Essay

A career in the Marine Corps has its roots in my childhood. As a kid, I was always reading one of two types of books. The first type was fantasy books filled with valiant, selfless heroes. The second type was books on planes. My childhood aspirations were to be either a warrior or a jet pilot, but as I grew up I realized I could be both. I could be a Marine. In doing so I could not only fulfill my dreams but my duties to my family and country as well. My parents came to this country with nothing but they still found many opportunities and have lived the American dream. I want to protect this land of opportunity for others, and most importantly, give back to the country that gave my family so much. I also want to repay my family by alleviating
Fortunately, by attending a marching percussion camp that challenged me like no other, I gained the focus and drive required. At every single point in the camp I was outclassed. I couldn’t march, play, or keep time as well as the others. However, there was no retreat from this struggle, only adaptation. I learned how to thrive under the pressure that was placed on me to get every note and rhythm right. I developed grit, working hard every day to improve, partly for myself, but more importantly for the drumline I was in. Working hard for my fellow drummers to make our performance as good as possible helped me to think less selfishly and more for others and our common goal. I improved vastly that week in both drumming and
Every day of class, as the section leader, I’m tasked with getting the best out of my section every day. We are disadvantaged by not having a dedicated instructor, funding, or involvement from our band director, but we have still found ways to be successful. By asking the section to work for each other instead of themselves, they buy into something bigger, becoming more than just the sum of their parts. With this teamwork we’ve won regional solo and ensemble two years in a row and have gone on to the state level, achieving very high scores there. In becoming a Marine officer, I can fulfill dreams, duties and utilize my talents for leadership for a country I