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Richard Bielawa
LSAC account # L36023284

Personal Statement
By: Richard Peter Bielawa III
The perpetual existence of change seems to be one of the few things in the world that does not change. In
my youth, change was something I recoiled from, I tried to resist it. Since entering adulthood, I have embraced
change, thus turning it into progress. In this statement, I would like to explain the progress that has been a key aspect
of my life since entering adulthood.
My youth was characterized by underachievement. I graduated high school with a G.P.A of 2.9. I was more
concerned about being a likeable person, than I was about being a good person. I chose classes that would allow me
to pass without having to put in any effort, so I could enjoy a care-free life. I didnt want to be challenged; I didnt
see the purpose in being challenged. I didnt see how participating in intellectually rigorous study would improve
my life in any way. I was downtrodden by being a product of a divorce, and what I felt to be an oppressive school
system. Ultimately, however, it was a lack of responsibility and passion that were the true causes of my
underachievement.
In my senior year of high school, the fire of passion began to kindle when I took a course titled Law and
Order. This class was focused upon the structure of the legal system, civil rights, and various criminal statutes. I
became very interested in this class. The content of this class was something that I found to be very applicable to my
life. The legal system was something that entrenched every aspect of my life. It effected my interaction with the
school system, my interaction with the general public, and even my interaction with my own family. An introduction
to the concept of rights was empowering as a student who felt greatly impeded by structural power. Eventually, this
empowerment that came from knowledge caused a thirst for knowledge as well as a sense of responsibility.
My lack of achievement in high school didnt leave me many options when it came time to think about
college. In my senior year, a sense of passion and responsibility had begun to form, but was not strong enough to
dedicate me to my future. For this reason, I went to community college, as I believed this was a good place to further
my passion without risking too much financially. In retrospect, it was an excellent place to do this. A sense of control
in my life, and responsibility that came from the sense of control truly grew there. While at community college, I
took a wide variety of liberal studies classes. Many of the classes placed an emphasis on discussion and developing
opinions. This caused me to become very engaged with and passionate toward my education. I was able to use what
I was learning to justify and strengthen the way I felt about the world. I took my first philosophy course at
community college. This was the course that was most able to be used as a tool to justify and strengthen my world
views, as it presented me with deep theories that underlay many of my world views. I particularly found myself

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Richard Bielawa
LSAC account # L36023284
attracted to the works of Jean-Paul Sartre. His brand of existentialist philosophy allowed me to justify and
strengthen my passions about moral relativity, freedom, and responsibility. What I also gained from this course was
a dedication to philosophy, which led to my decision to pursue philosophy. Overall, at community college, I became
a dedicated student who was passionate and hardworking. My overall GPA was 3.875. This was quite the shift from
who I was in high school.
I then transferred to Indiana University of Pennsylvania. My first philosophy course there was
Contemporary Moral Issues. I was hesitant to take this course because I identified as a moral relativist. Taking this
course caused another great change in my life. I previously used reason to justify the way I felt about the world. This
course caused me to use reason to discover truths about the world, regardless of my feelings toward those truths. My
objective in studying was no longer self-serving; I became concerned with the truth regardless of the implications
that flowed from the truth. A concern for the truth allowed me to be passionate about any course I took. I viewed all
courses as somehow being a tool to uncover fundamental truths about the world. In my undergraduate studies, I
developed a new world view. My new world view put human existence and flourishing at the forefront. I developed
a strong will to continue bettering myself, as well as helping other people. In my time at Indiana University of
Pennsylvania, I have maintained a 4.0 GPA for four semesters, and anticipate graduating Summa Cum Lade. This
will to better myself extended to my physical state as well. In May of 2014, I weighed 308 lbs. A year later, through
exercise and diet, I lost 100 lbs. These changes (both physically and intellectually) were something, that in high
school, I never fathomed that I could achieve.
I now find myself wanting to continue bettering myself, as well as helping others. In the summer of 2015, I
worked for Beaver County Rehabilitation Center (WIN services). While employed, I received the opportunity to
help others. The clients of WIN are mentally and intellectually disable clients who lack basic life skills. I was
employed as a life coach. As a life coach, I worked with the clients to help them develop these basic skills. It was a
truly rewarding job. I would like continue helping others and bettering myself for the rest of my life. I believe I can
continue doing this through the study and practice of law. My initial contact with the legal system is what began my
growth process. I would now like to use it to continue the growth of myself and the world around me.