Introduction

My name is Jake Shatraw I am a senior, live in townhouse 1 and am from Malone, NY. My father is a correction officer and my mother works in a school cafeteria. I am a history major with a spanish minor. I play intramural basketball, am in the hostory honor society, and do catering for Sodexo. I was in high schoool band and jazz band, played baseball, basketball, indoor track, outdoor track, was involved in student council, and Model UN. My father coahced my baseballs teams growing up and played high school basketball. One thing that is pretty unique about me is that I am an Atlanta Braves fan living in upstate NY.

Justice:
In the early 1990s in the rural part of western New York, an old farmer died. This man was one of four brothers who lived on a run-down farm and had worked there their whole lives. None of the four brothers were literate and none of them ever married. The whole community knew the brothers as gentle soulds who worked hard to make a living. After the one brother's death, one of the others was accused of killing him by the State Police. Once questioned by the police, he became nervous. The police told him if he signed a piece of paper he would be allowed to go back home. This paper was a confession of the murder. Nervous and disoriented, the old famer signed the paper and was immeadiately jailed for murder. The police first said the murder was a mercy killing intended to end the brother's health problems. Later, they switched the murder from a mercy killing to a lover's quarrel gone wrong. The police accused the two of incest and said that an argument betwee them ended in murder. Faced with no money for an attorney, the town rallied behind this farmer and raised money for his bail and subsequent trial. After months of research, the case went to trial. The man was eventually found not guilty and acquitted of murder. The whole town supported this old farmer who had done nothing but work hard his whole life and justice was served.

Learning Experience:
I've always known that my grandmother is a very bright woman. She can always relate to the interests of her children and grandchildren. She has always questioned me about the classes I take. I guess I never knew just how intelligent she was. Growing up in the 1940s she had always put her nose to the books. She worked hard in school and was a productive member of her large family. One of my greatest learning experiences has been finding out that my grandmother was valedictorian of her high school class. In those days it was that much harder for women to excel in areas that were generally not looked upon as areas that women should be involved in. I learned from my grandmother the work ethic and dedication needed to excel in school.