Describe How You Will Use Your Purdue Education to Achieve Your Personal and Professional Goals

I desire, more than anything, to be a professional whose actions will be necessary, if not cherished, for all time. Yet, I have trouble convincing my parents that an airline pilot is indeed a professional. Their words do not sway me. I understand that my college education will open my mind to new possibilities while allowing me to push myself in the direction of whichever career I choose. I dream of becoming a pilot because I envision enjoying my career to the fullest. Yes, I understand the hardships; they come, among many important factors, with pay based on seniority and attaining just the “right kind” of experience to be hired for any given company. I have no shame in enjoying the adventure, and even the danger and unpredictability of what so many people, regardless of intellect, would never consider. Just because I am willing to take a risk to keep travelers safe does not mean I am of a lower value. I say this not to insult flying at all; I only bring up a common debate topic because of how I was raised - the airline pilot “collar crisis” - in a community of like-minded scholars. I am used to walking in on family, as they sit at their desks for hours upon hours of endless debate, excluding me. “What should Sonya do with her life?” They ponder. I am very intelligent, but I am also a common sense, no-nonsense kind of woman. I am intelligent enough to know that I have the potential to perform so much more than what any schoolteacher has ever asked of me. Parents have told me I will waste my intellect if I pursue a career as a pilot. How untrue! People dream of travel and I need to keep them safe, so they can achieve their dreams in the safest and most efficient way possible. I have the sense of civic duty to take charge of a situation calmly and one day keep civilians safe. At the same time, I will be pursuing an adventure of my own in the sky. My liberal arts